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A nudge towards healthier choices

How do you get consumers to make healthy food choices? By nudging, apparently. Scientists from Aarhus University have reviewed the available literature in the field.

[Translate to English:] Forbrugerne kan med et kærligt puf - det såkaldte nudging - ledes i retning af at købe og spise sund mad. Foto: Colourbox

Should breakfast consist of a bread roll with jam and a good hard cheese or is it better to eat low-fat milk products with muesli and fruit? Should the sandwich topping be put on a slice of high-fibre ryebread or a piece of toasted white bread? And should dinner consist of a pizza or how about cod with lots of vegetables?

 

To most people it may be a no-brainer. With countless campaigns, finger-waggings, guidelines, admonishments, lifestyle articles, recipes, cookbooks, television programmes and other sources of information we are almost daily reminded of what is healthy and what we should stay far away from. Nevertheless, too many people suffer from obesity and the diseases that follow in its wake.

 

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries uses various techniques to encourage Danish consumers to opt for the healthy choice, but more can be done to coax consumers. One of these methods is nudging.  The DVFA asked scientists at Aarhus University to carry out a review of the available knowledge in this area, which has resulted in the current report.

 

A kindly nudge

Nudging means that you gently prompt someone to move in the right direction. This is not something done with a cane, finger-wagging or scolding, nor is it hidden marketing or manipulation, but a friendly encouragement to make a healthy lifestyle choice. An example is when the food store makes the fruit and vegetable department look fresh and inviting and hides away the sweets and soft drinks section in a far corner.

 

But how well does nudging actually work and what kind of initiatives can be used? The DVFA needed a review of the current situation that can serve as a knowledge base for its future work with nudging initiatives. The commissioned work has resulted in a report published by the DCA – Danish Centre for Food and Agriculture at Aarhus University.

 

We are not always rational beings

Many different approaches have been used over the years to get people to eat a healthier diet. They have consisted of public information campaigns (e.g. 6-a-day), taxation (e.g. the failed tax on fat), food labelling (e.g. the Keyhole label) and the development of healthier alternatives.

 

- Most of these initiatives appeal to consumers who deliberate their choices when buying food and therefore are ready to change them as soon as they are confronted with information that enables them to make a healthier decision, says research assistant and co-author of the report Trine Mørk from MAPP – Centre for Research on Customer Relations in the Food Sector at Aarhus University.

 

When buying food, our choices are to a large extent based on subconscious processes which means that our actions are not always well thought out or rational. Emotions, habits, memories, intuition and our environment also play a role when we make a choice. It is here that nudging may play a role.

 

Different forms of nudging

In the report the scientists define nudging as all attempts to influence a decision in a socially desirable direction, and which is brought about by a process not necessitating a great deal of conscious thought. They distinguish between three types of nudging:

 

• Nudging through a change in the environment where the choice is made

• Nudging through social influence (not addressed in this report)

• Nudging through simplified information ("symbol nudging")

 

The scientists have reviewed the literature in the area, where the majority of the studies were carried out in laboratories and canteens. They also gathered the available knowledge about nudging initiatives undertaken in Denmark, Norway, England and Sweden. Generally, there was not a great number of such studies and there was also a tendency for their results not to be made public.

 

- The scope of studies and initiatives in Denmark does not seem to measure up to the considerable interest that the nudging concept has attracted, says Trine Mørk. The results that are described do, however, appear promising and ought to be followed up by several scientific studies, according to the authors.

 

When working with the concept of nudging, you need to recognise that in any given situation there will be many other little nudges that tempt you to move in other directions. It is also important to recognise that nudging initiatives will require some form of stakeholder cooperation.

 

- A more systematic insight into the various opportunities that nudging can bring could open new doors when it comes to promoting healthy eating habits, says Trine Mørk.

 

The report "Nudging – Et overblik over publicerede undersøgelser og igangværende projekter om nudging på fødevareområdet" (in Danish), DCA report no. 36, January 2014, can be found here.

 

The report was prepared at the request of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and is part of the agreement between Aarhus University and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries for research-based public sector advice.

 

Further information: Research assistant Trine Mørk, MAPP - Centre for Research on Customer Relations in the Food Sector, Department of Business Administration, e- mail: tmork@asb.dk, telephone: +45 8716 6039