Good lighting may encourage you make healthier meal choices
We love a romantic, candlelit dinner as much as the next girl, but a recent study has uncovered that this lack of visibility may lead us to make unhealthy food choices.
Recently, the Cornell Food and Brand Lab partnered with a team of scientists from the University of South Florida to see what, if any, effects lighting had on how we eat. Looking at how 160 customers ordered in four casual chain restaurant locations they found that 16-24 per cent of diners were more likely to order healthy food if the restaurant was well-lit.
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“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). Furthermore, sales records showed that those in dimly-lit rooms actually ordered 39 per cent more calories!”
To further test this theory, they then conducted lab studies on 700 college-aged students and got the same results.
The reason: Alertness.
“Researchers conclude that the main reason that we make healthier choices in well-lit spaces is because we feel more alert.”
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To further test this theory, researchers gave those dining in dimly-lit spaces coffee and found that they ordered similar to their peers in the brightly-lit spaces.
But this doesn’t mean that you should crank up the lights.
Researchers also noticed that while those in darker spaces generally went for dishes that were deemed less healthy, they also tended to eat less, took their time with their meals and claimed to enjoy the experience more.
What do you think of the study? Do you prefer to eat in brightly-lit spaces or are you more into candlelight? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.
