title: Tempting foods and the affordability axiom: Food cues change beliefs about the costs of healthy eating.
abstract: Many consumers report that healthy eating is more expensive than unhealthy eating (the affordability axiom). We hypothesize that endorsement of this belief may be driven by the motivation to eat unhealthy foods. We tested this hypothesis in three studies. Study 1 revealed that the affordability axiom is associated with poorer eating habits and higher Body Mass Index (BMI). Study 2 found that the presence of a tasty food cue in the environment increased endorsement of affordability axiom. Study 3 found that these effects were moderated by one's food intake goals. Food cues led non-dieters to increase endorsement of the affordability axiom, but had the opposite effect among those seeking to restrict their calorie intake. The affordability axiom might persist as a means of validating unhealthy food choices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, United States. Electronic address: s.e.hill@tcu.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, United States.
authors.forename: Kaily
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baskett
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, United States.
authors.forename: Hannah K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, United States.
authors.forename: Marjorie L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Prokosch
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Arizona, United States.
authors.forename: Danielle J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: DelPriore
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Rodeheffer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003463:Cues; D000072001:Diet, Healthy / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cost of healthy eating; Food beliefs; Motivated cognition; Restrained eaters