2023.05.30

Research on Factors that Promote Healthy Eating Behaviors.
Togawa Taku, Associate Professor
Faculty of Economics, Department of Management

【Abstract】
In recent years, there has been a significant interest in issues related to “food” in our society, such as obesity, food waste, and food shortages. Many companies are creating a competitive advantage through strategies that contribute to food safety and health. Given these circumstances, I investigate how to promote healthier eating behavior from a marketing perspective. For example, one of my papers shows that the position of product images on food packaging is effective in promoting healthy food choices and reducing food intake. By conducting theoretical and empirical research, I aim to identify marketing-related factors that influence consumers’ eating behavior. Furthermore, in my lectures, I also engage educational activities to enrich student’s knowledge of food consumption by introducing relevant research findings and business cases.

【Future prospects】
In general, consumers tend to believe that healthy foods are not tasty. This “healthy = not tasty” belief can be a disincentive to healthy eating behaviors. Drawing on the literature on sensory marketing, I will examine how to reconcile the trade-off between healthiness and flavor perceptions. Past research has shown that various sensory experiences such as sight and sound influence eating behavior (see figure). In the future, we will attempt to explore new factors to improve flavor perceptions without sacrificing healthiness by focusing on another sensory cue or on new sensory factors that have emerged in our digital society.