A simple intervention can improve estimates of sugar content.

Abstract

Sugar overconsumption is a major health threat. Here, we ask (a) how accurate is people's metric knowledge (e.g., mean, range) and mapping knowledge (i.e., relative ordering) of sugar content of food items and (b) can this knowledge be improved with a simple seeding intervention, in which the actual sugar content is provided for a few representative items? Participants (online experiment, N = 160) estimated the sugar content of various food items (in grams) and then received feedback about the actual content for a few representative seed items, with or without additionally seeing the equivalent number of sugar cubes; a control group received no feedback. Finally, they estimated again the sugar content of (seeded and unseeded) items. Participants showed a lack of metric knowledge-they overestimated mean and rangebut acceptable mapping knowledge (i.e., relative ordering) of sugar content. The seeding intervention improved both types of knowledge, with and without additional visualization.