The Availability Bias
We Live In The Age Of Anxiety The world can seem like a scary and dangerous place these days. If you spend too much time on the internet, or listening to the news, you might [...]
The Framing Effect
The Pink Slime Terror In March 2012, Bettina Siegel, a mother and food blogger in Houston, Texas sounded an alarm about scary-sounding meat products being served to local schoolchildren. She objected to the use [...]
Snob Effect
Scarcity Appeals If you like good bourbon, you’ve probably heard of people trying to get their hands on a bottle of the notoriously rare Pappy Van Winkle, produced by the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery [...]
Clean Food Fable
Clean Eating Can Hurt You In the spring of 2014, Jordan Younger, a “wellness” blogger based in New York City, noticed that her hair was falling out. She was following the “clean” diet she promoted [...]
Folly of the Crowd
The Obesity Epidemic Obesity in America has reached epidemic proportions over the last few decades. Obesity lowers life expectancy and increases incidence of serious medical conditions, including diabetes and cancer. Roughly two thirds of [...]
The Dirty Dozen’s Dirty Secret
Fruits and Vegetables are Good for Us Moms and dads, registered dietitian nutritionists, and doctors all agree that we should eat more fruits and vegetables. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for [...]
The Health Halo Effect
The Meatless Burger Arrives For the last year, late-night revelers who wander into the nearest White Castle restaurant after closing down a nearby drinking establishment have been confronted with a menu advertising the [...]
Decision Fatigue
Why Do We Make Bad Food Choices? It’s seven o’clock in the evening and you make your way through the grocery store aisle, trying to remember the items on the shopping list that [...]
The Naturalness Bias
The Appealing Image of Natural When you hear the word “natural,” what thoughts or images come to mind? If you think of flowers, puppies, fresh baked bread, or other wholesome ideas, you’re not [...]
Why We Fear The Food We Eat
A World Of Food Fear Preservatives, artificial food colorings, gluten, and more... the grocery store aisle can be a scary place these days. It seems like there are new stories from social media [...]