To meet UK Net-Zero emissions targets, meat consumption must decrease. We present results from two studies evaluating interventions to reduce purchasing of meat-containing meals across university cafeterias in Oxford, UK. Study 1 tested whether two dynamic descriptive norm messages changed meal purchasing. Over eight weeks, four cafeterias displayed a norm message incorporating a socially ‘close’ referent group and three cafeterias displayed a message incorporating a socially ‘distant’ referent group. Two cafeterias were assigned a no-message control condition. A generalised linear mixed effect model suggested both messages decreased odds of cafeteria diners purchasing vegetarian meals, in comparison to control, 'Close' Message: Ratio of Odds Ratios (ORs)=0.79, 95% 95% CI [0.72, 0.86]; 'Remote' Message: Ratio of ORs=0.84, 95% CI [0.76,0.92]. Study 2 involved three pre-post experiments testing whether different interventions changed meal purchasing: re-positioning vegetarian products, increasing vegetarian availability, and introducing vegetarian defaults. Generalised linear models suggested each intervention was associated with significant increases in odds of diners purchasing vegetarian meals, Positioning: OR=1.33, 95% CI [1.24,1.44]; Availability: OR=1.60, 95% CI [1.45, 1.75]; Defaults: OR=1.77, 95% CI [1.61, 1.95]. These study results could be due to norm messaging being less effective at promoting vegetarian meals than interventions in availability, defaults, and positioning. But, given the study designs, they could instead be due to self-selection effects, or regression to the mean.

Evidence and Action Towards Safe and Nutritious Food (EatSafe) is looking to positively impact behavior around food safety practices in traditional markets around the world. As part of the program, Story Sourcing uses journalistic techniques to uncover stories and anecdotes from daily life that sheds light on people's motivations, fears, and aspirations. These stories, in turn, help guide the design and development of EatSafe food safety interventions. EatSafe previously conducted this work at traditional markets in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria.

Low self esteem is the best predictor

After analysing more than 1,000 raw foods, researchers ranked the ingredients that provide the best balance of your daily nutritional requirements – and they found a few surprises.

They found that the indulgent label resulted in the highest consumption. It was chosen 25% more than the basic label, 35% more than with h healthy positive label, and 41% more than the health restrictive label. Veggie consumption increased significantly as well—16% more than the basic label, 23% more than the healthy positive label, and 33% more than the healthy restrictive label.

When people see food that is symmetrical, they tend to believe it is more natural – and when they think a food is more natural, they perceive it to be healthier.

The evidence shows that this kind of behaviour change needs to happen collectively, not just individually. So we need joined-up governance at local, national and international levels. Food systems also contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. This can be addressed by reducing waste or directing it back into the supply chain. A mix of different measures will be most effective. The evidence shows that taxation is one of the most effective ways to modify behaviour. Accreditation and labelling schemes can also have an impact.

The Food Security and Nutrition Network Behavior Bank features results from Barrier Analysis and Doer/NonDoer Studies conducted by food security and other practitioners globally. (Click here for a description of Barrier Analysis.) You can browse the database by country, region, and behavior studied to look for results for a particular area/behavior, or to look for patterns of barrier and enablers for a particular behavior or set of behaviors.

We tested how reframing the name of the vegetarian food category shapes food choices. • Environmental, social, and neutral (vs. vegetarian) frames boosted vegetarian choice. • No consistent differences emerged among the three non-vegetarian frames. • We investigated the underlying psychological mechanisms behind the main effects.

In a meta-analysis of real-life experiments drawn from food science, nutrition, health economics, marketing and psychology, the authors find that behavioural nudges - facilitating action rather than providing knowledge or inducing feelings - can reduce daily energy intake by up to 209 kcal, the same number of calories as in 21 cubes of sugar.

New link: http://abcnews.go.com/US/baby-carrots-snack-food/story?id=15533622

nutrition/physical activity social marketing training

Point of purchase social marketing

Examples of the social marketing process in action from the CDC's Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity

article from the Journal of Extension

training video from Public Health Training Network