Bright Lights Encourage Healthy Eating
Lighting the Way to Nutritious Food
Research published in theJournal of Marketing Researchlinks bright light to healthier food choices. The study observed 160 diners at four separate metropolitan locations of a chain dinner restaurant between 6 and 8 p.m. Two of the restaurants used bright lighting (250 lux luminance) and the other two locations had dim lighting (25 lux luminance).The researchers found that diners at the well-lit locations were more likely to choose healthy options such as baked or grilled fish and chicken than the patrons at the dimly lit restaurants. These results were replicated in a laboratory test of 700 college students where scientists attributed students’ healthier choices to the alert feelings that being in a bright room elicits.