Feeding the lonely soul: Seeking warmth in high-calorie foods

This research investigates the influence of loneliness on consumers’ preference for high-calorie foods, addressing the dual epidemics of loneliness and obesity. It explores how the need for warmth mediates this relationship and proposes an effective intervention to alter consumers’ beliefs about the role of food. Employing one survey and three experiments, the study examines the connection between loneliness and preference for high-calorie foods, with the methodology including linear regression analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and mediation analysis. These findings indicate that loneliness significantly increases consumers’ preference for high-calorie foods, with the need for warmth serving as a key mediating factor. The results further suggest that changing consumers’ beliefs about food can serve as an effective and low-cost intervention to mitigate this preference. This research advances the theoretical understanding of the impact of loneliness on consumer behavior and offers a practical behavioral intervention strategy of significant value for governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and companies, aiming to combat obesity and improve public health.