A Behavioral Economic Approach to Quantifying Reinforcing Efficacy of Food

Abstract

In May 2018 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act mandated all restaurants with more than 20 locations in the U.S. provide calorie information on menus for food items served. Although policymakers have argued that adding calorie content to menu items is a useful tactic to decrease demand for high calorie foods, empirical studies assessing this initiative report mixed results. The current study evaluates the impact of high and low calorie contents on consumer demand for preferred sandwiches and snack foods, and further analyzes differences in demand between individuals of varying body mass index. Results indicate that at a macro level, demand between high calorie and low calorie sandwiches and snacks does not significantly differ. However, although not statistically different, researchers observe differences between high and low calorie sandwiches and snacks between individuals of differing BMI groups, specifically in the intensity of demand for snacks.