To Eat Better, Don’t Pump Up the Jams
Loudness leads to lousy food choices.
No wonder people tend to order fried wings and other nutritional duds at rowdy sports bars. A recent study from the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business discovered that people tend to make healthier food choices in the presence of low-volume, softer music or background noise than they do in loud environments. According to a 2018 study in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, the arousal and stress brought on by blaring music or yelling patrons can lead to poor-quality,
calorie-laden food choices—with potential repercussions for the waistline.
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
