How exposure to natural scenes can promote weight control behaviors: A replication experiment

We performed a behavioral experiment to replicate published findings showing that exposure to natural scenes, i.e., viewing pictures of natural versus urban scenes, is associated with the choice of a “reward drink” containing less sugar (i.e., a healthier dietary choice). In total, 140 participants were randomly assigned to one of two study conditions (viewing natural or urban scenes). Participants completed a task measuring temporal discounting. Two measures related to weight control were used: the amount of ice cream consumed in a taste test (actual food consumption) and the amount of sugar chosen for the reward drink. Compared to the urban group, the natural scene group chose reward drinks with less sugar and ate less ice cream in the taste test. The discounting rate fully mediated the impact of exposure to natural versus urban scenes on the two measures. The association between experimental exposure to natural scenes and weight control behaviors was not contingent on the intention to lose weight or participant sex. This replication experiment suggests that exposure to natural scenes helps individuals to control sugar intake and food consumption.