Impact of Front-of-package Warning Labels on Perceived Weight Stigmatization

Examining the Impact of Different Types of Front-of-package Warning Labels for Sugar-sweetened Beverages on Perceived Weight Stigmatization Among a Sample of US Adults

The goal of this experiment is to examine the effects of three different types of front-of-package warning labels for sugar-sweetened beverages on perceived weight stigmatization, as well as the effect of making such labels more weight-neutral. The main questions this experiment aims to answer are:

• Are certain types of front-of-package warning labels perceived as more stigmatizing than others?
• Are more weight-neutral versions of front-of-package warning labels perceived as less stigmatizing than their regular versions?
• Is there a trade-off between label effectiveness in discouraging product consumption and perceived weight stigmatization?

Additionally, this experiment also aims to answer the following questions:

• Does exposure to certain types of front-of-package warning labels lead to changes in participants' weight bias?
• Are changes in participants' weight bias as a result of label exposure mediated by attribution of personal responsibility for body weight, pathogen disgust, or perceived social consensus?

Participants will be randomly assigned to see one of four types of labels: control labels, nutrient warning labels, text-only health warning labels, or graphic health warning labels. Participants will then see an image depicting different types of fictional sugar-sweetened beverages carrying the label type that they were assigned to. Participants will see this image twice, in random order, each time differing in whether the label is weight-neutral or not (i.e., whether the label references calories/obesity or not). Each time, participants will answer survey questions about the label. Last, participants will answer survey questions measuring their weight bias and potential mediating variables.

Inclusion criteria:

• At least 21 years of age.
• Residing in the US.

Exclusion Criteria:

-Involved in any pre-testing.