A University of Technology Sydney study reveals that people’s emotional attachment to fast-food brands influences their diet more than their health knowledge, highlighting the impact of marketing on unhealthy eating habits.
A new University of Technology Sydney study suggests that a person’s affection for fast-food and sugary drink brands may reveal more about their diet than their own health judgements do. Published in the Journal of Health Communication, the research found that people who felt a stronger emotional pull towards familiar fast-food names tended to consume more saturated fat and sugar, even when they correctly recognised those brands as unhealthy.
The finding points to a gap between knowledge and behaviour. Dr Poppy Watson, the study’s senior author, said psychological loyalty to fast-food brands was a strong predictor of fat and sugar intake. Dr Mike Kendig, a senior lecturer in medical science at UTS, said those who liked these brands more also tended to rate them as healthier than they really were.
The study drew on separate groups in Australia and the United States and combined expertise from medical science, psychology and marketing, including researchers from the UTS Business School. According to the paper, participants were asked about their attitudes towards fast-food and sugar-sweetened beverage brands, their views on how healthy those brands were, and their eating habits. The results suggest that brand familiarity and positive feelings can shape perceptions in ways that may make unhealthy food seem less harmful.
Watson said marketing is part of the problem, noting that unhealthy food advertising is widespread across retail, media and sport. She argued that such promotion is effective because it influences purchase decisions, and said public health agencies and governments need to take its wider impact on diet more seriously. The researchers also pointed out that roughly one-third of adult calories in Australia and the United States come from ultra-processed discretionary foods and drinks high in sugar, salt and saturated fat.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
