Comparing the impact of feedback on excess calories and physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) information on consumer behaviour in an online hypothetical restaurant setting

Information provision interventions to improve nutrition in the out-of-home food sector include providing calorie information at point of choice. Supplementary approaches also include providing feedback on physical activity calorie equivalent information (PACE) and/or the extent to which food orders exceed calorie guidelines. However, minimal research has compared the impact these different supplementary approaches have on consumer behaviour. Our aims were to compare the effects of feedback on excess calories ordered, different types of PACE related feedback on decisions to change orders, calories purchased, and calories ordered in a hypothetical online restaurant setting. In an online randomised controlled trial participants (N = 1546) were allocated to receive a restaurant menu with (i) no calorie information on individual menu items, but overall feedback on excess calories ordered (>600 kcals); (ii) calorie information on individual items and feedback on excess calories; (iii) calorie information on individual items and non-specific PACE feedback; (iv) calorie information and personalised PACE feedback based on individual body weight. Outcomes were number of calories ordered after any feedback, and any decision to change items selected after receiving feedback. Receiving feedback on excess calories or exercise required to burn excess calories did not significantly impact the total number of calories purchased. There was some evidence to suggest that presence of feedback on total excess calories without previously seeing the calorie content of individual menu items increased likelihood of participants changing their order. Overall, these findings suggest limited evidence that information provision of feedback on excess calories in different forms has an impact on consumer behaviour in a hypothetical setting.