Why adult happy meals could be the next fad health kick

This meal makes adults happy, too.
This meal makes adults happy, too.
Image: @Twitterbelle3 on Instagram

Fun-packed food could be another way to eat healthier.

A new University of Arizona study suggests that if kids and adults are offered a half-sized meal with a non-food incentive, or the full-sized meal sans incentive, the majority of both groups will pick the prize almost every time.

Eller College of Management's Martin Reimann along with University of Southern California professors Antoine Bechara (a professor in the graduate neuroscience program) and Deborah MacInnis (a professor at the school's Marshall School of Business), published their study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. The study chronicled seven experiments that showed most people would rather have a modest prize with a small meal than a larger portion of food.

Reimann tells Mashable now was the right time to perform the study. "Overweight (tendencies) and obesity are still on the rise, not only in the U.S. but globally."

In the experiment, 78% of sixth graders chose half a sandwich with a pair of inexpensive earbuds over a full sandwich. Another time, university employees and students chose the half sandwich for just the chance to possibly win 10,000 frequent flier miles or a $100 gift card.

In another test, women were more likely to choose the full portion over men, and yet another experiment showed that the value of the prize didn't always influence participants to choose the larger meal. People were as likely to choose a smaller meal for a $50 gift card as they were for a $100 gift card.

Furthermore, the people who chose the smaller meals didn't supplement with extra calories over the course of that day or the next day.

fMRI testing revealed these small portions paired with prizes trigger the same areas of the brain that respond to larger portions.

These findings are significant because, if applied to a restaurant model, the public could have a more active role in choosing smaller portions. Reimann says, "If non-food rewards, even small and uncertain ones, can be just as engaging at a neurochemical level, then restaurants can potentially motivate healthier choices without jeopardizing sales, and consumers have more paths to avoid overeating."