Tackling obesity and eating disorders, a series of playful food packaging designs encourage people to focus on the eating experience rather than the actual amount they are eating
Our children have never been fatter but on the other hand, eating disorders like anorexia are more prevalent than ever. Eating habits in developed countries are changing rapidly and food manufacturers and marketing companies could be responsible for some of these changes. ‘Buy 3 for the price of 2’ and ‘50 per cent extra for the same price’ are marketing parameters for ‘bargain’ food. The concept persuades people to buy bigger-sized economy packs, which could contribute to obesity or other forms of eating disorders. A lot of public funding is invested in campaigns to tackle eating disorders.
This project started from understanding the psychology of purchasing ‘bargain food’. The defined cycle is:
What can designers do to help transform this cycle? This project aims to break down this cycle by separating the eating experience and the actual amount eaten through innovative and playful food design packaging.
People were observed purchasing and eating bargain food A user group focussed on different groups including people with obesity problems and eating disorders. Photo ethnography was used to create a useful visual record of people’s relationships to food.
The main issue that was identified was separating the eating process from enjoyment of food. As a result of studying of how consumers engage with food, a series of playful food packages were developed including ’Eating longer’ lollipop and ‘Patterned chocolate’ bar. These aim to make people focus on the eating experience rather than the actual amount they are eating. The final design creates illusions in order to make snack packs look bigger and contain less food. By designing playful ‘junk food’ packaging, this project aims to prove design can help people change their eating behaviour.
