Calm Music May Encourage People to Make Healthier Food Choices, Study Finds

Calm music may encourage people to choose healthier foods. A study conducted in Macau found that purchases of healthier products accounted for a larger share of sales when soothing melodies were played.

According to Faktxeber.Az, citing foreign media reports, researchers from the Macau University of Science and Technology investigated the influence of background music on food choices through four experiments.

The first experiment was conducted in a university cafeteria. Over eight working days, calm and energetic music were played on alternating days. During this period, customers purchased a total of 911 food items.

On days when calm music was played, foods considered healthy accounted for 18.94% of all purchases. When energetic music was played, the figure dropped to 13.59%.

Similar results were observed in three additional experiments conducted in simulated restaurant settings. Participants were more inclined to choose healthier menu options when calm music was playing. The presence of typical restaurant background noise did not completely eliminate this effect.

The researchers suggest that calm music may create a more relaxing atmosphere, making healthier foods appear to be more appealing choices in such an environment.

However, the authors emphasized that music does not necessarily force people to eat healthily. Instead, the findings indicate an association between the character of background music and food choices.

The researchers suggest that this approach could potentially be used in restaurants, shops, and online food delivery services to encourage greater interest in healthier products. However, further research is needed to determine whether the same effect occurs in ordinary supermarket settings.