If the saying "you are what you eat" is true, sweets could actually prove to make you sweeter, at least according to this study. While organic foods are touted as being healthier for your body, they may be bad for your attitude. A new study published in the Social Psychological and Personality Science Journal showed that people who eat organic foods are less likely to volunteer their time to help others and are more likely to judge you on your moral transgressions.
The study, by assistant professor at the department of psychological sciences at Loyola University in New Orleans Kendall Eskine, focused on the behaviors of three groups of people. One group was shown photos of clearly branded organic foods, including brands like Honest Tea, Purity Life, and Smart Balance. The second group was shown photos of comfort foods like chocolate chip cookies and ice cream. And lastly was the control group, who were shown photos of unbranded "neutral" foods like oatmeal or condiments.
After viewing the photos of the food, each group was asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding moral situations such as consensual sex between cousins, and lawyers who scope out emergency rooms for potential clients. The organic food group was the most harsh in rating the moral severity each question while the comfort food group was the most lenient.
Once participants filled out the questionnaire of fictional moral dilemmas, they were also asked to quantify how much time they would be willing to spare to participate in another study. The organic food group offered to volunteer a full 11 minutes less than the comfort food group which was willing to give the most time.
Eskine attributes these findings to an attitude of having done their good deed for the day by eating or buying "better" food which gives them a license to act less ethically in other facets of their life. It's the same phenomenon which may make you stop at McDonalds on the way home from the gym.
"There's something about being exposed to organic food that made them feel better about themselves," says Eskine. "And that made them kind of jerks a little bit, I guess."
A 2011 study speaks about a "health halo" in which the findings report on how people view foods labeled as organic to be low in calories, better in taste, and worth more cash at the register. As the cost of foods branded with an organic label is higher, consumers may wonder which foods are worth buying organically.
Do you think consuming organic foods really impacts people's attitudes? Leave your comments below.