title: A randomized controlled trial of an appearance-based dietary intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption precipitates preventable morbidity and mortality. The efficacy of an appearance-based dietary intervention was investigated, which illustrates the beneficial effect that fruit and vegetable consumption has on skin appearance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomly allocated to three groups receiving information-only or a generic or own-face appearance-based intervention. Diet was recorded at baseline and 10 weekly follow-ups. Participants in the generic and own-face intervention groups witnessed on-screen stimuli and received printed photographic materials to illustrate the beneficial effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on skin color.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Controlling for baseline diet, a significant effect of intervention group was found on self-reported fruit and vegetable intake among 46 completers who were free of medical and personal reasons preventing diet change. The own-face appearance-based intervention group reported a significant, sustained improvement in fruit and vegetable consumption whereas the information-only and generic appearance-based intervention groups reported no significant dietary changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Seeing the potential benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption on own skin color may motivate dietary improvement.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Ross D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Whitehead
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Gözde
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ozakinci
authors.affiliation: Perception Lab, School of Psychology.
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Perrett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005638:Fruit; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D014675:Vegetables; D055815:Young Adult