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A growing body of research suggests many everyday food decisions are driven by information people see around them, including labels, digital content, and marketing.
Recent experiments show that small changes in front-of-pack labels can shift what people buy in simulated shopping.
Public health agencies are also focusing on how digital marketing affects children’s preferences and consumption.
At the same time, studies on ultra-processed foods point to eating that can continue even when people say they are not hungry.

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Food decisions often feel personal and appetite-led. But new evidence across labeling studies, digital marketing research, and dietary experiments suggests that information cues—what people see on packages, screens, and feeds—can meaningfully shape what they choose, sometimes independent of hunger.

Researchers and public health agencies are paying closer attention to the “information environment” around food. That environment includes packaging claims, front-of-pack nutrition summaries, social media posts, influencer content, and targeted ads.

Several recent studies and policy efforts point in the same direction: small, repeated cues can nudge food choices at scale. This does not mean hunger is irrelevant. But it suggests that in many common situations—shopping, ordering, or snacking—people respond strongly to signals that suggest what is appealing, normal, healthy, trendy, or good value.

## Labels can change purchases, even without changing the food
One of the clearest places to see information shaping choice is food labeling.

In a randomized online trial run in late 2024, participants made simulated food and beverage purchases under different labeling systems. The study compared several front-of-pack formats, including a nutrition-information box concept similar to the one later proposed by US regulators. The results found that label design mattered: “spectrum” style labels that rated products from least to most healthy produced healthier simulated purchases than systems that highlighted only positive features.

These findings fit with a broader policy push to make nutrition information faster to interpret. In January 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration proposed requiring a standardized front-of-package “Nutrition Info” label on most packaged foods. The proposal aims to provide at-a-glance information on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars, each shown as low, medium, or high.

Supporters of front-of-pack labels argue they reduce the effort needed to compare products quickly, especially in busy retail settings. Critics and industry groups have raised questions about design choices and how consumers will interpret simplified summaries across diverse foods.

## Social media and influencer content are part of today’s “foodscape”
Food information no longer comes only from cookbooks, grocery aisles, or TV ads. It comes from short videos, photos, and recommendations that travel rapidly online.

A recent experimental study examined how Instagram food posts can influence eating intentions, including differences when a celebrity is present versus absent. The research adds to a wider set of findings that marketing and social content can shape what people want to eat, particularly when posts are visually appealing and repeatedly encountered.

Systematic reviews have also documented how food and beverage companies use social media to market products, including to adolescents. Researchers describe this as a “digital foodscape,” where food knowledge and preferences are produced and shared through platforms and social networks.

Public health agencies have increasingly focused on what this means for children. The World Health Organization has warned that marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages influences children’s preferences and consumption patterns. In recent guidance and follow-on policy work, WHO and regional partners have pushed for stronger rules and monitoring tools to limit children’s exposure to digital marketing for high-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar products.

## Eating can continue even when people report low hunger
Information cues are only one driver. Food formulation and availability also matter, especially for snacking.

A recent controlled diet study in young adults reported that after a short period eating an ultra-processed diet, some participants ate more in a setting designed to measure eating in the absence of hunger. In the study, participants were offered a buffet meal and then snacks afterward; researchers observed increased snack intake in the younger age group even after they reported low hunger.

This type of finding has helped keep attention on ultra-processed foods in the United States. Federal monitoring has also reported that ultra-processed foods make up more than half of calories consumed in the US, with higher shares among children and teens.

Taken together, these strands of evidence suggest that many food choices happen at the intersection of appetite, habit, price, and convenience—while being strongly shaped by information that signals what to buy, try, or treat as normal.

## What this means for shoppers and policymakers
For individuals, the shift toward information-driven choice can feel subtle. A “low/medium/high” box, a health halo claim, a popular creator’s snack review, or repeated delivery-app prompts may each have small effects. But repeated exposure can steer decisions over time.

For policymakers, the question is how to balance consumer information with marketing limits in settings where children and adolescents are heavy users, and where targeting is automated and personalized. Front-of-pack labeling proposals, digital marketing guidance, and new monitoring tools are all part of that effort.

Researchers say the next challenge is not just proving that information changes choices, but identifying which formats are clearest across populations, which reduce confusion, and which help people follow their own goals—whether that is improving health, staying within a budget, or eating more sustainably.

AI Perspective

Food choices are made in a crowded information environment, and small cues can add up. Clear, consistent labeling and sensible limits on child-targeted marketing can help people make decisions that better match their intentions. The strongest takeaway is that changing what people see may sometimes be as important as changing what food is available.