Connections between shapes, body image and spending

Researchers have found new parallels between idealized body images in advertising and consumer spending. The research demonstrates that seeing a thin (vs. wide) human-like shape leads high-body-mass-index (BMI) consumers to make more indulgent spending decisions.
In one study where consumers were shown an object with a thin, human-like shape (much like a Coca-Coca bottle), high-BMI consumers were more likely to buy a higher-priced, Fiji-brand bottle of water than a lower-priced, generic-brand bottle. Another study found that high-BMI consumers were more willing to take on credit card debt to pay for something after seeing a thin shape (News Item University of Kentucky, 29 March 2017).
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