A Wallet Full of Calories: The Effect of Financial Dissatisfaction on the Desire for Food Energy

Abstract

This study shows that people experiencing financial dissatisfaction may choose and consume food for its energy value. Because money and food are closely related, exchangeable resources, financially dissatisfied people may be motivated to replenish their need for financial resources by consuming caloric resources or food energy. Five experiments provide support for this hypothesis across various measures of caloric desire and actual eating behavior. The findings have notable implications for marketing and public policy. Whereas marketing researchers have increasingly investigated the interplay of taste and health considerations in food consumption, this research demonstrates the importance of investigating food energy considerations.