Attractive food images can nudge teens towards healthy choices

…more appealing and memorable. One teenager observed that healthy food is often perceived as “boring”, making it important to present it in an appetising manner. SubbaRao M. Gavaravarapu, who led the research team, said visually attractive presentations influence how adolescents imagine consuming healthy foods. While simply presented dishes are associated mainly with meals at home, attractively presented foods are more often linked to restaurants and social gatherings with friends. Some participants reported trying foods they…

…text, underscoring the power of visual communication on social media. Although the researchers cautioned that the short-term study cannot establish sustained behavioural change, ICMR-NIN director Bharati Kulkarni said the findings point to the potential of visually appealing healthy food content as a nutrition-promotion strategy. Such approaches could be explored in social media campaigns, school canteens, cafés and restaurants, though larger and longer-term studies are needed to assess their impact on eating habits. The study, titled ‘Foodporn…