Health gains through loss frames: Testing the effectiveness of message framing on citizens’ use of nutritional warnings

The aim of the present work was twofold: (i) to evaluate the effect of nutritional warnings and health-related packaging cues (nutrient claim and images of natural foods) on consumers' food choices, and (ii) to evaluate the influence of two types of messages (gain-framed and loss-framed) aimed at encouraging the use of such warnings and packaging cues on food choices. A total of 510 participants were recruited using an advertisement on Facebook and Instagram targeted at Uruguayan adult users. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three experimental groups: control (n = 167), loss-framed messages (n = 177) and gain-framed messages (n = 166). Then, they completed a choice-conjoint task involving packages of crackers differing in three variables: nutritional warnings (present vs. absent), nutrient claim (present vs. absent) and images of seeds and wheat (present vs. absent). Warnings were the most relevant package element driving choices, even when participants were not exposed to any type of message. Exposure to loss-framed messages led to changes in the relative importance attached to the package characteristics, whereas gain-framed messages did not. Graphic pieces conveying messages encouraging the use of nutritional warnings by stressing the negative consequences of excessive consumption of sugar, fat, and sodium increased the relative importance attached to nutritional warnings and decreased the relative importance attached to health-related cues (nutrient claims and images of seeds and wheat). These results suggest that public awareness campaigns aimed at encouraging citizens to use nutritional warnings should emphasize the negative health consequences of excessive intake of sugar, fat, and sodium.