Is Packaging Playing a Role in the Obesity Epidemic?

Plain packaging legislation has been rampant in the news lately, with rulings targeted primarily toward the tobacco industry. However, rumblings of plain packaging reaching the alcoholic beverage market have also made waves recently. And now, talks of replacing the often eye-catching packaging on foods high in caloric content, are causing a bit of a stir.

According to a recent report in The Guardian, Wolfram Schultz, a neuroscience professor at the University of Cambridge, has suggested that the packaging of what is often considered to be junk food is partially to blame for the rise in obesity.

Schultz, along with two other professors, will receive the 2017 Brain Prize, which The Guardian explains was awarded to the trio by the Lundbeck Foundation in Denmark, for the group’s research into how behavior is linked to the brain’s reward processes.

The Guardian reports that during a press conference to announce the Brain Prize winners, Schultz said the following about how packaging impacts a person’s decision to purchase an unhealthy product.

“We should not advertise, propagate or encourage the unnecessary ingestion of calories. There should be some way of regulating the desire to get more calories. We don’t need these calories. Colorful wrapping of high energy foods of course makes you buy more of that stuff and once you have it in your fridge, it’s in front of you every time you open the fridge and ultimately you’re going to eat it and eat too much.”

Packaging Perspective: Naturally, there has been some criticism regarding Schultz’s comments, and it makes sense that some would argue that regulating packaging on unhealthy food would be an unnecessary and overreaching action. But before we completely dismiss Professor Schultz’s comments, it should be noted that plain packaging legislation, which has gone into effect for tobacco products sold in Australia, has been effective in curbing smoking.

Since there is evidence that plain packaging can help consumers make healthier decisions, what is the harm in extending the initiative from one unhealthy product, like tobacco, to another, such as high-calorie snack food?

The answer is that unless false claims or inadequate nutritional information are being displayed on packaging, a candy wrapper or potato chip bag shouldn't take the blame for a consumer making an unhealthy choice. It's important for consumers to be properly educated about the products marketed to them, and warning labels on tobacco and alcohol products, and nutrition facts on food should be adequate. Packaging is an important tool for brands to communicate with consumers, and only allowing healthy foods to benefit from eye-catching packaging is a slippery slope. As long as a brand isn't deliberately misleading consumers, it should be able to package its product how it feels is best. Ultimately, it should be up to consumers to decide what role packaging plays in their purchasing decisions.