Background: More people are at the risk of chronic disease as the prevalence of obesity increases. It is therefore essential to find ways of helping consumers to make a lower calorie food choice. Current evidence indicates that current food labelling is changing food choices and consumption, but it is of limited effectiveness. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) food labelling on food selection and consumption using a randomised experimental design in pop-up café. Method: This study as a randomised controlled experimental trial (RCT) was conducted in a research kitchen at Loughborough University. Participants were blinded to the exact purpose of the study and randomised to either exposure to PACE labelling plus calorie food labelling or calorie labelling only and asked to select food/drinks for their consumption, in the pop-up café up to a maximum value cost of £10. The study outcomes were the amount of money spent, the number of calories selected, and the amount of food consumed after exposure to the two different types of food labels.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
103
There were 34 food and drinks choices available for consumption in the pop up café. The labels were displayed next to the food/drink item in the pop up café. The food items were kept in the same position for each participant kitchen to simulate the café environment. Then researchers changed the labels on the display according to the randomisation allocation of each participant. After randomsation participants were informed that they have £10 to spend in the pop-up café and that they could eat the food they selected in a private social eating room.
Loughborough University
Loughborough, Leicester, United Kingdom
Money Spent
Participants had £10 to spend in the pop-up café and they could eat the food they selected in a private social eating room. The total money they spent were measured when they left the lab.
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention
Calorie Intake
The researchers used a digital scale to weigh the original remaining food to the nearest 0.1 gram. The name of food items, the number of calories in each item selected, and the weight of leftover (using calibrated food weighing scales) was recorded for each participant. They were to ensure that all participants had finished eating and left the lab before weighing the remaining food.
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention
The International Physical Activity Questionnaires(IPAQ)
24-hour physical activity questionnaire was sent to them via email one day after the experiment.
Time frame: 24 hours after the intervention
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