LIGHTING, REVEALED THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA STUDY, LINKING BETTER LIGHTING TO CHOOSING HEALTHIER FOODS WITH FEWER CALORIES

Strange as it might seem, one of the factors that influence the choice of food at the restaurant is not only the company, intentions (healthy or gluttonous) or house specialties, but also the lighting of the premises, as revealed the University of South Florida study published by the Journal of Marketing Research.
According to the study, customers were more prone to choosing not only healthier meals, but also foods with fewer calories in well-lit restaurants. The survey polled 160 restaurants of 4 different chains, and revealed that customers sitting in the most well- lit rooms were more likely to choose healthy foods - salads, grilled white meats and fish – rather than fried or high calorie foods, like sweets. Data of sales showed further that customers who sat in a bright room consumed 39% fewer calories, a result confirmed by the laboratory study of 700 volunteers.

The second part of the research, the authors explained, however, also proved that if you increase the attention of diners with caffeine, or simply invite them to order more carefully, the effect between the two types of illumination decreases. “Dim light”, the researchers wrote, “is not entirely negative because one eats more slowly and appreciates the dishes more. If you are careful, you can avoid exaggerating when eating in the dark”.