Some like it tailor‐made: The effectiveness of personalized coupons for lower‐calorie food choices at a university canteen

Abstract

Obesity has long been a public health concern, and prior research points to excessive energy intake as a major contributor to this epidemic (Loring & Robertson, 2014). Given the increasing supply and decreasing prices of foods high in calories, many consumers are replacing nutritious and low-calorie foods with energy-dense alternatives to ensure their calorie intake at an affordable cost (Loring & Robertson, 2014). This change puts this group of consumers at greater risk of obesity and diet-related chronic diseases (Darmon & Drewnowski, 2008). Another factor often cited as a driver of obesity is the increasing consumption of food away from home (FAFH) (Mancino et al., 2009). As a result, reducing the price of healthy FAFH is an effective instrument in addressing obesity (French, 2003; World Health Organization, 2015).By design, price interventions on the food market are developed under the assumption that all consumers benefit from the reduced