Seasonal cues to food scarcity and calorie cravings: Winter cues elicit preferences for energy-dense foods

Abstract

Winter cues signal a scarcity of food. Birds and mammals respond to such environmental cues by consuming more energy. They convert this surplus into body fat that serves as a buffer against impending food shortages. Similarly, humans exhibit higher obesity rates among food-insecure populations. However, to date, it has been unclear whether winter cues qualitatively affect consumers’ food preferences. Results from five studies (N = 865), with one of them preregistered, show that watching videos depicting winter cues elicits thoughts about energy-dense foods and survival. Winter cues elicit higher preferences for energy-dense than low-calorie foods, with this effect likely being different for women and men. A meta-analysis corroborate this conclusion. Accordingly, our results support the evolutionary account postulating that humans have developed sex-specific responses to perceivable cues to food scarcity. As a result, winter cues induce people to favor products they deem higher in calories. Given the importance of limiting energy-dense food consumption for addressing environmental and public health issues, policymakers and marketers should be aware of this phenomenon when designing public communication campaigns.