Respect and healthy eating among teenagers: differences in mechanisms and optimization of effects

This study investigated the effects of different types of awe on adolescents’ preferences for healthy eating through five experiments. The results showed that, compared to neutral emotions, positive and natural forms of awe promote healthy eating by enhancing connections with nature. In contrast, non-natural forms of awe have a positive effect when they increase people’s ability to interpret situations in a more meaningful way. Based on these findings, the study further concluded that under conditions of positive and natural awe, highlighting the natural characteristics of healthy foods or using natural-colored packaging can further enhance their positive effects. In cases of non-natural awe, emphasizing the long-term health benefits of foods or presenting a broader overall image of the product can help to highlight its high level of interpretability.