Exposure to nature may induce lower discounting and lead to healthier dietary choices

Abstract Successful weight loss requires individuals to focus on distant health gains while sacrificing immediate culinary pleasures. Time discounting refers to the tendency to discount larger future gains in favor of smaller immediate rewards. Hence, lower discounting should lead to better dietary practices and healthier dietary choices. Prior research has shown that exposure to natural versus urban landscapes can induce lower discounting. The current study examined whether viewing pictures of natural scenes induces lower discounting, leading to healthier dietary choices. Ninety-three undergraduates who had the intention to lose weight were randomly assigned to one of three experiment conditions (natural scenes, urban scenes, or control). The discounting rate was measured following the landscape exposure manipulation. The amount of sugar chosen for the reward drink was recorded. The results showed that participants who viewed pictures of natural scenes chose a smaller amount of sugar for their reward drinks compared with participants viewing the urban scene and the control condition. The discounting rate mediated the association between exposure to natural landscapes and a smaller amount of sugar chosen for the reward drink (i.e., a healthier dietary choice). Our findings suggest that exposure to nature can induce healthier dietary choices that may help subjects with weight control. This study provides a new approach to promoting dietary regulation and obesity control via nature exposure.