Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 13, 2025
08:01
A Method for Manipulating Blood Glucose and Measuring Resulting Changes in Cognitive Accessibility of Target Stimuli
Published on: August 12, 2016
9.1K
Nudging sugar portions: a real-world experiment
Karoline Villinger1, Deborah R Wahl2, Kai Engel2
1Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, D-78457, P.O. Box 47, Konstanz, Germany. Karoline.villinger@uni-konstanz.de.
BMC Nutrition
|November 12, 2021
Summary
Modifying sugar shakers reduced sugar use in hot beverages by 20%. This simple food environment intervention effectively cut sugar consumption in public settings and was well-received by consumers.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
- Food Environment Interventions
Background:
- Excessive sugar consumption is a primary driver of overweight and obesity.
- Current sugar intake often surpasses World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of a functionally modified sugar shaker as a food environment nudge.
- To determine if this intervention could reduce sugar added to hot beverages.
Main Methods:
- Sugar shakers were modified to decrease sugar dispensed per pour by 47%.
- A four-week real-world experiment in a university café compared modified vs. standard sugar dispensers.
- A survey assessed customer acceptance of the modified sugar shakers.
Main Results:
- A 20% reduction in added sugar per hot beverage was observed with the modified shakers.
- The intervention demonstrated a significant effect size (d = 1.35).
- The majority of surveyed customers positively evaluated the intervention.
Conclusions:
- A simple environmental intervention using modified sugar shakers can significantly decrease sugar consumption.
- This approach is a promising strategy for public health initiatives aimed at reducing sugar overconsumption.
- The intervention was well-accepted by consumers, indicating practical feasibility.
