Could Behavioral Economics Help Improve Diet Quality for Nutrition Assistance Program Participants?

by David R. Just, Lisa Mancino, and Brian Wansink

As obesity has come to the forefront of public health concerns, there is growing interest in finding ways to guide consumers' food choices to be more beneficial for their long-term health. About one in five Americans participates in at least one nutrition assistance program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This study uses behavioral economics, food marketing, and psychology to identify possible options for improving the diets and health of participants in the Food Stamp Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

Keywords: Behavioral economics, food consumption, obesity, food stamps, National School Lunch Program, food assistance, WIC

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Report summary
• Abstract, Acknowledgments, Contents, and Summary
• Introduction
• Prices, Income, and Information Are Standard Policy Levers That Influence Food Choice
• How Cognitive Glitches and Psychological Biases Influence What People Eat
• How Cognitive Glitches and Psychological Biases Influence How Much People Eat
• Psychological Biases Can Also Make People More Receptive to New Information
• Conclusions
• References