Bright Lighting Encourages Healthy Food Choices

Researchers found evidence that this effect is due mainly to the level of diners' alertness. "We feel more alert in brighter rooms and therefore tend to make more healthful, forward-thinking decisions," explains lead author Dipayan Biswas, PhD, Professor of Marketing at the University of South Florida.

First, 160 restaurant patrons at four casual chain restaurant locations were surveyed. Half of those diners, who were seated in brighter rooms, were more likely to choose healthier options (such as grilled/baked fish, vegetables or white meat) over relatively unhealthy items (such as fried food or dessert).

 

Sales records showed that those in dimly lit rooms actually ordered 39% more calories. The researchers replicated these results in four additional lab studies involving 700 college-aged students in total.

 

The follow-up studies also showed that when diners' alertness was increased with the use of a caffeine placebo or by simply giving a prompt to be alert, those in dimly lit rooms were just as likely as their peers in brightly lit rooms to make more healthful food choices.

 

From this, the researchers conclude that the main reason that we make healthier choices in well-lit spaces is because we feel more alert.

 

Lighting is used to create ambience and enhance the dining experience, which is why many restaurants have dim lights. "Dim lighting isn't all bad," says co-author Brian Wansink, PhD, Director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab and author of Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life, "despite ordering less-healthy foods, you actually end up eating slower, eating less and enjoying the food more."

 

According to Dr Wansink: doing what you can to make yourself feel alert is the best way to avoid overindulging when "dining-in-the-dark."