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Article

A Study on Female Consumers’ Perceptions of the Health Value of Visual Elements of Weight Loss Health Product Packaging

by
Fan Zhang
1,
Lu Zhang
1,
Yanlong Guo
1,2,* and
Han Zhang
3
1
Social Innovation Design Research Centre, Anhui University, Hefei 203106, China
2
Anhui Institute of Contemporary Studies, Anhui Academy of Social Sciences, Hefei 203106, China
3
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13624; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151813624
Submission received: 22 June 2023 / Revised: 30 July 2023 / Accepted: 8 September 2023 / Published: 12 September 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development Sustainable with Diet and Physical Activity on Health and Performance)
Browse Figure
Versions Notes

Abstract

:
The obesity epidemic has evolved into a significant problem globally and poses a serious threat to the health of society. Despite increasing international research on obesity food packaging, the health value of visual elements in weight loss supplement packaging varies according to regional cultures and consumer groups. The scope of this study is the health perceptions of obese urban Chinese women regarding the design of visual elements of weight loss health product packaging. This study constructed a visual element index system for weight loss health product packaging in order to design a related questionnaire. The research team administered the online questionnaire to 305 obese women (aged 18–45+) in urban China from 22 June to 2 July 2022. The factors influencing the perceived health value of weight loss supplement packaging in the female obese group were examined using SPSS 26.0. A t-test analysis was conducted to derive the difference in the correlation between purchase status and brand identity. Linear regression analysis showed that age groups differed in package color and package shape, respectively. The study concluded that, first, there were differences in the perceptions of weight loss health product packaging among respondents with different purchase statuses; second, the older the respondents were, the more they perceived white packaging as having health value (p < 0.05); third, the health marker’s shape had little or no statistical significance on the individuals (p > 0.05); fourth, respondents who were older were more likely to think a cylindrical design has a benefit for their health than a square box shape (p < 0.05) and an anthropomorphic shape was more likely to produce a healthy weight loss effect than cylindrical packaging (p < 0.05); and younger people thought that an anthropomorphic shape was more likely to make them recognize the health effect than square box-shaped packaging (p < 0.05).

1. Introduction

The obesity epidemic is a worldwide problem, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Meanwhile, obesity is classified as a chronic condition by the International Classifier on Disorders, second only to smoking as a non-communicable disease. [1]. Being overweight or obese can pose a health risk, according to various studies, which is an increasing issue in Western countries [2]. According to the World Obesity Map 2023, the obesity rate for adult males will rise from 14% in 2020 to 23% in 2035, while the rate for adult females will rise from 18% to 27%, making females more likely than males to be obese. Due to advancements fueled by nations with low or middle incomes that will eventually affect high-income countries, prevalence is anticipated to rise in the ensuing decades [3,4]. Psychosocial and genetic factors are the primary contributors to the obesity environment, making it a complex disease pathology that presents a challenge to those who work in public health policy [5,6]. The increase in the female obese population has led to a lag between the female population and the onset of obesity-related diseases. Women pay more attention to healthy lifestyle information cues than men when it comes to making healthy food choices [7]. Given the importance of health issues and the expectations of society to reduce the impact of this disease, it is urgent to encourage the development of international standard food labeling interventions based on ensuring authenticity [8,9]. But nutrition labels are not enough for consumers to create health awareness [10]. Consumers also gain sensory perceptions of health values through the visual elements of packaging, aiming to address the study of sensory transfer effects in symbolic associations [11]. Food companies use the design of packaging visual elements as a health communication medium, selecting the most typical health food positioning (colors, images, materials, and shapes) to convey symbolic meaning to consumers [12]. Light-colored package descriptions are more consistent with good consumer cognitive ratings and emotional responses than dark-colored packages and provide a favorable venue for understanding obesity prevention measures [13]. Mandatory information on food packaging labels must be easily identifiable and clearly visible [14]. Numerous scholarly studies have shown that organic food labels can have an impact on the health benefits they offer consumers, while health endorsement logos are mentioned as an indication of healthy choices [15]. The health food mark is certified with the approval of the relevant national authorities. Therefore, the visual elements of weight loss supplement packaging can guide female consumers to choose a healthier lifestyle [6], a feature associated with greater brand awareness of weight loss sensitivity.
Consumers’ cues about the perceived health value of product packaging are no longer monolithic. According to the study, clear nutrition labels on packaging do not allow consumers to quickly access health information [16]. To further overcome the limitations inherent in offline information cues, it is demonstrated in the MAIN model that consumers tend to process online information through cues in a limited amount of time [17]. Clever visual cues have a direct impact on group demand behavior, and ultimately, these cues evaluate inferences that can influence aspects of consumer cognitive choice [18]. The cognitive component is to summarize and organize different information from different time periods in a timely manner to summarize the development of mental states affecting the audience group [19]. Health value perception aims to trigger consumers’ psychological state of health perception through packaging information so as to improve their own behavior or inhibit non-healthy activities through cue assessment. It is a positive guide to restoring, maintaining, and improving health. However, female consumers are sensitive to the perceived health value of weight loss supplement packaging, and some studies have shown that the positive influence of slim spokespersons on female consumers with reference to their own shape has high potential [20]. Graphic logos play an important role in influencing the brand identity, which can affect the emotional and behavioral response of the brand represented by the logo. A clear brand identity can increase positive consumer behavior [21]. Packaging color can influence the overall perception of female temperament in different dimensions such as brightness, hue, and saturation, and low-saturation food packaging is perceived as healthier compared to high-saturation food packaging [13]. The health label is not only the consumer’s first impression of the brand but also the standard for health recognition [15]. In addition, the appearance of the shape on the health perception influences the slimness of the product packaging to evoke the audience’s association with slimness, thus causing health concept awareness [20]. The health food mark is certified with the approval of the relevant national authorities. Therefore, the study of the visual elements of weight loss supplement packaging is of great value.
To date, in the international literature, most of the Chinese research on weight loss products has remained at the theoretical level of efficacy effects, with only a few studies looking at the visual elements of packaging as possible drivers of health perception [22,23]. Between 22 June and 2 July 2022, the research team distributed questionnaires via an online questionnaire platform to the obese female population in an effort to better understand how female consumers perceive the health benefits of visual components on weight loss supplement packaging. Despite extensive international studies on food packaging, perceptions of the visual representation of weight reduction products in packaging vary significantly among nations and ethnic groups. Therefore, selected urban Chinese female customers were tested for their impressions of the health-related benefits of the visual components on the package of weight loss products, applying subtle cues and warning designs to the packaging with the aim of psychologically and behaviorally guiding female consumers towards a healthy lifestyle.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Creating a Visual Evaluation Program for the Packaging of a Weight Loss and Health Product

A multi-level, multi-factor, and multi-indicator collection of factors influences how health-related the visual components of weight loss supplement labeling are considered to be. Referring to the visual components derived from international theoretical studies on the packaging of weight-loss supplements, in accordance with the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommendations for packaging label design for foodstuffs and supplements for diets [24], we created a weight-loss supplement pack visual index system and described the probable influencing variables of consumer impression of the health worth of a weight-loss supplement package. The approach is developed to help female consumers understand how vital the looks of the pill package are to their health. An index system is a top–down, multi-level approach to clearly and explicitly building out the indicators at all levels under the evaluation system, including three levels of composition: The visual elements of weight loss health care packaging are the target level (A) and belong to the first level; the brand identity, health symbol, packaging color, and exterior styling are the guiding level (B) and belong to the second level.
The study by Della Lucia S. M. et al. established a system of brand identity indicators based on the familiarity of food brands and organic food messages, confirming the positive impact of a clear brand identity and organic environmental messages on consumer behavior [21]. Color elements have a greater impact on the formation of consumer brand perception. In light of research by Lunardo R. et al. (2021), which showed that choosing the color red for food packaging increases consumer guilt and creates a negative link with unhealthy foods, the indexation of package color was created [25]. Consumers believe that white food packaging has a healthier flavor, according to research by Hoppu U et al. from 2018 on the impact of package color on taste perception [26]. Researchers have also shown that the color of faded hues is closely related to health. Tijssen I O J M et al.’s 2017 study on food packaging color showed that low-saturation color packaging is more attractive to consumers for healthy products and enhances sensory expectations [13]. Food labeling is a tool used to raise awareness of the importance of health benefits for consumers [27]. The health label indicator shows that the use of natural and organic ingredients and information about wellness claims increases the perceived health advantages of the product for customers, according to Plasek B et al.’s 2021 study of the extrinsic characteristics of package labels [28]. When consumers have health needs, the shape of the packaging can suggest health-related cues, and slim packaging especially can add to the attitude of a healthy product [23]. The indicator of appearance shape is based on a study of three forms of bottles by Chitturi R. et al. (2022), which confirmed that consumers perceive anthropomorphic shapes to improve preference and quality perception [29]. The literature on this area of research is sparse, but there is preliminary evidence that the use of slim shapes can reduce the sale of unhealthy foods and also encourage consumers to choose healthier foods. The third level is the solution level (C), i.e., the embodiment of the second guideline level, including partial brand identity, fuzzy brand identity, clear brand identity, red package, colorless package, green package, graphic health symbol, no health symbol, textual health symbol, square box shape, anthropomorphic shape, and cylindrical shape, as well as 12 evaluation factors. The hierarchical structure of the evaluation system in this study was derived from a summary of the relevant literature (Table 1), using letters instead of indicators to indicate.

2.2. Questionnaire Title Design

The FDA proposes that the package labeling of food and dietary supplements must comply with federal regulations for the packaging of weight loss supplements [24]. The content is divided into two main points: demographic characteristics as the first point and visual element indicators of weight loss supplement packaging as the second point, including brand identity comparison of weight loss supplement packaging, packaging color comparison, attitudes towards different health symbols, and attitudes towards different packaging appearance shapes.
The questionnaire questions on the perceived health value of weight loss health product packaging were divided into four areas: the brand identity of the weight loss supplement packaging would make you more likely to associate it with weight loss food and make you more likely to choose to buy it; the color of the weight loss supplement packaging would make you feel healthier; the form of the health symbol would make it easier for you to access health food information; and the shape of the appearance would make you feel that weight loss is more effective. Questionnaire participants were asked to evaluate the following boxes from four perspectives: (1) brand identity (“Compared to the same product, the graphic or text of the health product reminds you of a weight loss health product”; “Compared to the same product, which of the different forms of weight loss health food would you prefer to buy?”); (2) health perception (“Which one do you think brings a perception of health compared to the color of the same product?”); (3) information accessibility (“Which of the different forms of health labels allows you to get health food information quickly compared with the same product?”); and (4) effect association (“Which of the different appearance shapes allows you to associate with weight loss effects compared with the same product?”). These evaluation scales consisted of 12 questions, and each evaluation indicator was evaluated using a 9-level Likert scale method. The above is a visual element scale for weight loss health product packaging developed based on customer perceived value theory.
The questions use contrasting designs: I1 vs. I2, I3 vs. I2, and I3 vs. I1; C1 vs. C2, C3 vs. C2, and C3 vs. C1; S1 vs. S2, S1 vs. S3, and S2 vs. S3; and A1 vs. A2, A1 vs. A3, and A3 vs. A2. Respectively, these indicate partial brand identity over fuzzy brand identity, clear brand identity over fuzzy brand identity, and clear brand identity over partial brand identity; red packaging over colorless packaging, green packaging over colorless packaging vs. collarless packaging, green packaging vs. colorless packaging, and green packaging vs. red packaging; graphic health symbol vs. text health symbol, graphic health symbol vs. no health symbol, text health symbol vs. no health symbol; and anthropomorphic shape vs. square box shape, anthropomorphic shape vs. cylindrical shape, and cylindrical shape vs. square box shape.

2.3. Interviewees

Obesity is defined as an abnormality that goes beyond the buildup of body fat and endangers health. The questionnaire was given to obese women. Although there are several ways to measure body fat, the Body Mass Index (BMI), a globally accepted grading system to determine how thin or fat a person is and if they are in good health, is the method that is most frequently employed. With the aim of enhancing the representativeness of the study sample, a questionnaire survey was conducted via an online network among a random sample of obese women of different ages and educational backgrounds aged 18 to 45 years or above, and data were collected from respondents with Chinese IP addresses. In order to ensure the authenticity of respondents as obese, the quick algorithm of BMI (BMI = weight kg/height m2) and the Chinese reference standard for obesity were stated in the questionnaire design: BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 is the overweight threshold, and when BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2 is the obesity threshold. There are 43.2 million obese Chinese men and 46.4 million obese Chinese women, or 12.4% and 16.3% of the population, respectively, according to global adult weight research that was published in 2016 in the esteemed medical magazine The Lancet. After 2018, the proportion of obese females in China’s rural areas surpassed that of obese females in the city [30]. The diseases associated with female obesity are more serious and specific, affecting the overall health of the female population. Chinese scholars have done relatively little research on the prevention and control of female obesity groups, and this study aims to promote female consumers’ attention to healthy habits and activities through subtle cues and warnings designed for the appearance of weight loss health product packaging.

2.4. Survey Methodology

For the sake of comprehensiveness of the research, data were collected from different samples in terms of age, educational background, whether the product had been purchased, and the focus on visual elements of the packaging, avoiding the homogeneity that is specific to more behavioral and social science studies limited to a sample of college female consumers [31,32]. Therefore, the online questionnaire method is a convenient way to reach female consumers with different educational backgrounds. The survey was conducted from 22 June to 2 July 2022, using the China Questionnaire Star website (https://www.wjx.cn/ accessed on 21 June 2022) tool. From June to July 2022, 357 online questionnaires were collected, and 52 invalid questionnaires were excluded due to inappropriate gender and age groups. Finally, 305 valid questionnaires were collected, with an overall return rate of approximately 85.4%.
The online questionnaire editing format was used to screen and collect quality data through the questionnaire platform. The questionnaire scale questions were set on a 9-point scale, and the weight loss health product packaging used in the questionnaire specifically referred to common weight loss health brands in the Chinese market, and the weight loss health product packaging was imitated and designed according to the research purpose of the question. The packaging design of this weight loss supplement references the standard design of nutritional packaging and is based on the FDA’s requirement to comply with the “Nutrition Facts” and “Supplement Facts” panels set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations [24]. Dietary supplement companies are required to comply with packaging regulations regarding mandatory health claim labeling [33]. Nutraceuticals should have reasonable data to support their efficacy and accurately label uncontaminated ingredients [34]. At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needs to monitor the Qualified Health Certificate (QHC) [35]. Studies have shown that the consistency and simplicity of symbols for natural health and dietary supplement packaging information are attractive to consumers [36]. Standardized health care packaging stipulates that the brand name text should be clear and eye-catching, true and accurate, scientific and legal, and easy to understand; the text and background color should use contrasting solid colors; and the content of the packaging design on the product expression should be accurate and reasonable, focusing on the emphasis on safety and rational use of information instructions.
The weight loss health product packaging design was modeled after a brand packaging fictitiously created for the health food market (Figure 1), and four control groups were designed. The first one is No. 1–3, and all three packages are designed using the regulations of the FDA-specified health food packaging labeling and with reference to the current status of Chinese health food packaging. No. 1 and No. 2 packages use partial brand identity and fuzzy brand identity, respectively, and relevant studies show that clear brand identity is better for consumers to obtain health information [21]. The second one is No. 4–6, No. 4, packaging using green as the background color, and some studies have shown that the use of low-saturation colors in packaging can effectively enhance sensory expectations and improve consumer appeal [13]. The No. 5 packaging refers to the international standardized health food packaging design, removing the color phase value to retain only the brand identity and health symbol. Related research shows that light-colored and white packaging gives consumers the impression of no added impurities and has a healthier flavor perception [26]. Red was chosen as the background color for No. 6, and studies have shown that red causes stronger negative associations and feelings of guilt for the product compared to healthy products [25]. The third is numbers 7–9, which are graphic health labels, no health labels, and text health labels, respectively. Some studies conclude that packaging with health labels will indicate health-related statements and text health labels are more effective in conveying information statements compared to graphic health labels [28]. The fourth is numbers 10–12, which are anthropomorphic shapes, square box shapes, and cylindrical shapes, respectively. Some studies have shown that among the three types of bottles (cylindrical, square, and anthropomorphic), anthropomorphic and cylindrical shapes can improve consumer preference and quality perception [29].
The experimental group of products was divided into four groups throughout the course of the experiment, with stimuli No. 1 to No. 3 used to differentiate between brand logos (Supplementary Table S1), stimuli numbered No. 4–6 used to differentiate between package colors (Supplementary Table S2), stimuli No. 7–9 used to differentiate between health symbols (Supplementary Table S3), and stimuli No. 10–12 used to differentiate between health symbols (Supplementary Table S4). Respondents answered questions according to level of agreement, each with a 9-point Likert scale option, for a total of 12 questions.

3. Results

3.1. Basic Demographic Data Analysis

In terms of health behaviors, women are more conscious of healthy lifestyles and dietary habits than men [37], as well as more sensitive to visual packaging information. Therefore, women are more concerned about the weight and visual elements of packaging. From the statistical results (Table 2), it can be seen that the participants are female obese groups, and the number of respondents aged 18–25 years old is 214. These data show the rejuvenation of the respondents may be due to the rejuvenation of the users of the Internet and data collection platforms related to the youth of the respondents. It has been discovered that there are more obese women with higher education; these women may be impacted by psychological factors related to study and interpersonal pressure, long-term sedentary behavior factors, and other factors. Educational background is concentrated in university and postgraduate studies and is above 273 people, representing 89.5% of the entire population. There are 191 participants in this study who have purchased weight loss supplements, or around 62.6% of the total participants, indicating that more female obese groups are eager to obtain health value perceptions from weight loss supplements. In terms of female consumers’ health perceptions of the visual elements of weight loss supplements’ packaging, the health symbol element is attractive to consumers, followed by the color, pattern, text, and shape elements, indicating that female consumers are particularly concerned about the health symbol, color, pattern, and text in the visual elements of weight loss supplements’ packaging.

3.2. Description of the Reliability Test

The term dependability is used to quantify the stability and consistency of data reports. Cronbach’s alpha ranks among the most extensively used statistics in the social and scientific sectors [38]. Typically, estimation is used to describe how effective statistical inference is [39]. Since the computation of Cronbach’s alpha validity is more trustworthy for the confidence intervals of the answer coefficients, it is frequently employed in mathematical and statistical analyses of questionnaires assessed to measure Likert scale indicators to examine the reliability of the scale.
The reliability coefficient took principles in the range of 0–1, and the closer it was, the higher the reliability was indicated. If the value of the coefficient is higher than 0.8, it indicates excellent reliability. According to SPSS 26.0, the Cronbach’s validity assessment was described (Table 3). The standardized Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.821. The value of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient in the following table is 0.812, which is greater than 0.8, indicating the high reliability of the quality of the questionnaire. In conclusion, the validity of the data provided in this study meets the requirements.

3.3. The Cross-Correlation between Purchase Status and Brand Identity

A chi-square test with SPSS version 26.0 was used to test the sample data with the aim of examining the degree of deviation between the actual observations and the theoretical observations; the degree of divergence increases as the cardinality grows, and a cardinality of 0 indicates full compliance. The data results yielded (Table 4) that the groups with different purchase statuses were significantly different (p = 0.016 < 0.05) for weight loss health care packaging with a clear brand identity compared to weight loss health care packaging with an ambiguous brand identity. The cross-sectional results showed (Table 5) that the majority of the groups who had purchased considered a clear brand identity as more likely to receive health information than a fuzzy brand identity. In the table, the number 1 denotes the group that purchased, and the number 2 denotes the group that did not purchase, where 147 of the purchasing group endorsed the visual elements of the brand identity, representing 76.9% of the overall number. However, a portion of the group that did not purchase believed that the health access message of clear brand identity weight loss supplement packaging was lower than the health access message of ambiguous brand identity, with a total of 25.4% disagreeing with the brand identity visual elements. Only 11.4% of the group that did not purchase remained neutral. Literature studies on consumer perceptions of food packaging have proven that a familiar brand identity helps consumers assess product quality attributes and makes it easier for them to make decisions [40]. More symbolic brands lead to consistent message effects compared to less symbolic brands [41]. The group that has purchased has a greater need for information to obtain a clear brand identity, and the perception of a familiar brand identity is associated with a health effect. The perception of weight loss supplements is different for people with different purchasing statuses. The contrast in this group is more obvious compared to the visual elements in the other groups. Therefore, we analyzed the data for the groups of weight loss supplements packaged with a clear brand identity and weight loss supplements packaged with a vague brand identity.

3.4. Linear Regression Analysis

The aim was to investigate the changes in the perceived health value of visual elements of weight loss supplement packaging among female consumers of different age groups. Utilizing the software SPSS 26.0, a statistical evaluation of regression data was carried out in this study to determine the degree of influence and causal connection between age group and packaging’s visual components [42]. The four groups of visual recognition, package color, health symbols, and appearance shape were employed as separate factors in the linear regression equation, and each age group was used as the dependent factor. The original hypothesis that the regression coefficient was 0 was disproved by the examination of the linear regression data (Table 6), and the hypothesis demonstrated a significant likelihood of consequence at a level less than 0.000. The model R2 value was 0.117, implying that the visual element of the package explains 11.7% of the cause of the change in age. The regression test showed F = 3.225, p = 0.000 < 0.01, indicating that the F-test condition is met and that at least one of the questionnaire’s indicators will have an important association with the age category. The multiple cointegration test shows that the model’s VIF value was lower than 5, showing that there has been no cointegration; the model’s autocorrelation’s D–W ratio is 1.654 in the range of 1.5 to 2.5, suggesting that it is not a major problem. The model developed in this study does not suffer from cointegration by VIF and D-W tests, and the combination of t-test and significance indicates that the model is reliable.
In either age group, there were no appreciable changes to the brand’s image or the packaging of the health marker category (p > 0.05). Red weight loss supplement packaging had a regression coefficient value of 0.059 in the packaging color category (p = 0.002 < 0.01) compared to colorless weight loss supplement packaging, which indicates a significant positive relationship between age group and colorless weight loss supplement packaging. Participants in this study were more likely to perceive colorless weight loss supplement packaging as more healthful than red weight loss supplement packaging as they became older. Participants in this study were more likely to perceive colorless weight loss supplement packaging as having more health value than red weight loss supplement packaging as they became older. The regression coefficient of −0.047 (p = 0.125 > 0.05) for green weight loss supplement packaging and colorless weight loss supplement packaging indicates no significant relationship with the age of female consumers. The regression coefficient of 0.039 (p = 0.191 > 0.05) for green weight loss supplement packaging and red weight loss supplement packaging indicated that there was no correlation with age in this study.
The regression coefficient of the anthropomorphic weight loss supplement packaging versus the square box-shaped weight loss supplement packaging was −0.059 in the appearance shape group packaging (p = 0.046 < 0.05), which confirms the negative relationship between the anthropomorphic packaging and the perceived health effects in the age group. This study showed that the younger the person, the more pronounced the health perception of anthropomorphic packaging is compared to square box-shaped packaging. The regression coefficient of 0.051 (p = 0.032 < 0.05) for anthropomorphic and cylindrical packaging implies a positive correlation between the perceived health effects of anthropomorphic weight loss supplement packaging and age group. This study suggests that the older the visitors were, the more likely they were to perceive the anthropomorphic package as having more health effects than the cylindrical package. The regression coefficient between cylindrical and square box-shaped weight loss supplement packaging was 0.053 (p = 0.006 < 0.01), which implies that the age group and cylindrical weight loss supplement packaging were positively significant for obtaining health effects. This research study suggests that the older the person, the greater the perceived health of cylindrical packaging compared to square box-shaped packaging.

4. Discussion

First, a study on the perceived health value of the packaging brand identity of weight loss supplements among female consumers in urban China showed that different purchase statuses produced significant differences in the brand identity of weight loss supplements, with the group that had purchased weight loss supplements perceiving a clear brand identity as more likely to be associated with healthy weight loss foods than an ambiguous brand identity (p = 0.016 < 0.05). Consistent with this, scholars have similarly confirmed the positive impact of clear brand identity and organic environmental messages on consumer behavior in their research on brand identity in food packaging [21]. Weight loss supplement packaging with a clear brand identity provides consumers with a clearer understanding of product positioning and increases positive health behaviors among the obese group. Participants who had purchased weight loss supplements perceived a clear brand identity as having healthier weight loss food messages.
Second, there were differences in female consumers’ perceptions of different colored weight loss supplement packaging. Linear regression analysis showed that colorless weight loss supplement packaging was more likely to be perceived as healthy by participants than red weight loss supplement packaging (p = 0.002 < 0.01). In keeping with international research on package color on health perception, consumers perceived white food packages as having foods with a healthier taste among the effects of package color on taste perception [26]; low-saturated color packages are more appealing for healthier products and enhance sensory expectations [13]; and red food packages increase consumer guilt and are associated with unhealthy food products [25]—and the results also revealed that older participants were more sensitized to this.
Third, Chinese female consumers did not reach statistical significance for this in the health marker group of weight loss supplement packaging (p > 0.05). According to international academic studies, health labeling is approved by the relevant authorities as a standard for health identification, where organic food labeling can have an impact on consumer health benefits [28]. Food labeling of natural and organic ingredients varies in different countries and is largely consistent with international studies. First, most participants in the survey data sample had not purchased weight loss health products related to the standardized health food labeling that they had not been made to associate with. Second, it does not mean that female consumers do not pay attention to health labels; standardized health food labels may be related to the level of understanding and education. Therefore, it cannot be demonstrated that the use of different types of health labels allows consumers to access health food information.
Fourth, female consumers have different cognitive influences on the appearance and shape of the packaging of weight loss supplements. According to this research’s findings, female customers thought the anthropomorphic packaging was more effective (p = 0.046 < 0.05, p = 0.032 < 0.05) in the comparison of appearance shapes between the two groups and also believed that cylindrical packaging has a greater weight loss effect than square box packaging (p = 0.006 < 0.01). This is generally consistent with the findings of global scholars, where consumers perceived anthropomorphic shapes as increasing preference and quality perceptions in an experiment with three forms of bottles [29]. This study also reveals the relationship between age and package shape. The younger the participants were, the more effective the anthropomorphic package was for weight loss, and they associated slenderness with health. Older participants perceived cylindrical-shaped packaging as more healthful for weight loss. This study correlates with the current status of weight loss supplement packaging in the Chinese market; the older the participants were, the more they were exposed to weight loss supplement packaging that favored long shapes and formed cognitive habits in their minds. Therefore, this led to differences in age groups for different shapes.
Finally, based on research confirming that nutrition labels on food packaging do not meet consumers’ needs for quick access to health information, most scholars have used subtle elements of food packaging design for health cue research, and in addition, many countries use standardized weight loss supplement packaging to intervene on obesity issues so that visual cues influence aspects of consumers’ cognitive choices. However, China has not yet adopted an international approach to weight-loss supplements. These data bring valuable experience in adapting standardized weight loss supplement packaging in China and provide a reference value for the design of visual elements in weight loss supplement packaging.
In this paper, we try to explore the most appropriate package design for weight loss supplements by taking the Chinese female population as the research object. Although there have been some similar studies internationally, there are differences in consumer perceptions of package design for weight loss supplements between different international and ethnic groups. In addition, a hitherto unaddressed market segment is addressed, where packaging images are usually analyzed in relation to “traditional” commercial products, and the greatest contribution is made to the analysis of a specific product and a specific market segment. The visual element indicators for diet supplement packaging constructed in this study provide empirical references for future diet supplement packaging in China. At the same time, gender variability may add new insights to the discussion topic of this study. However, the study has limitations. Firstly, this study lacks cultural differences as it was conducted on selected female consumers in selected Chinese cities; we cannot ignore the meaning of visual elements in different cultures, and although the meaning of femininity is culturally constructed, cross-cultural differences are still not sufficiently studied. Second, there are methodological shortcomings in this study in that the sampling method of subjective evaluation was used to investigate female consumers’ perceptions of weight loss nutraceutical packages, which creates some problems of generalization and does not use objective evaluations to assess the perceived health value of weight loss nutraceutical packages. Third, this study investigated female consumers’ perceptions of weight loss health product packaging through a sampling method subjective evaluations, which raised some generalization issues and did not use objective evaluations to assess the perceived health value of weight loss supplements packaging; furthermore, the virtual packaging used in this study was modeled after weight loss supplements packaging in the Chinese market, which is not fully representative of the actual results in the weight loss supplements market. There are limitations in terms of research time, as comprehensive market research could not be conducted due to the short time period of the study. The sample size should be enlarged in future studies, and a combination of subjective and objective methodologies should be utilized, for example, entropy weighting to assess different cultures and cross-cultural studies from different perspectives, thus revealing more relationships.

5. Conclusions

Studies demonstrate that female consumers have a big influence on the general wellness benefit of the packaging’s visual components for weight-reduction pills. The findings on packaging color and appearance shape are largely consistent with other scholars’ findings, with colorless weight loss supplement packaging having greater health perceptions for female consumers and anthropomorphic weight loss supplement packaging being more effective in bringing the perception of weight loss effects to female consumers. Female consumers perceive weight loss supplement packaging with a clear brand identity as easier to access health food information. Health symbols did not show significant perceptual differences between age groups.
Given that the respondents to the survey were exposed to supplement packaging with long shapes and developed specific cognitive habits, there is a significant difference in how healthy urban Chinese female consumers perceive the health of anthropomorphic-shaped weight loss supplement packaging. Therefore, younger and older people feel the association between cylindrical packaging and weight loss effects. The lack of variability in Chinese female consumers’ perceptions of health label forms is partly due to the fact that most female consumers in the survey data had not purchased weight loss supplements and did not show health perception associations with standardized health food label descriptions. On the other hand, standardized health food labeling may be related to the level of understanding and education. In the brand identity group, female consumers recognize weight loss supplements with a clear brand identity, while those with a vague brand identity are not associative. The reason for this is that Chinese consumers believe that packaging brand identity creates a relationship with the quality of weight-loss health food products.
To date, obesity is still the focus of attention from all walks of life. The data analysis in this study provides an effective reference for specific product packaging and specific market segments for weight loss supplements in China and provides favorable clues for the design of subtle elements in the packaging of weight loss supplements from the perspective of the female population.

Supplementary Materials

The following supporting information can be downloaded at https://0-www-mdpi-com.brum.beds.ac.uk/article/10.3390/su151813624/s1. Tables S1–S4: Throughout the experiment, the packaging images of the products in the experimental group were divided into four groups, with stimuli No. 1–3 used to differentiate between brand logos (Table S1), stimuli numbered No. 4–6 used to differentiate between pack-age colors (Table S2), stimuli No. 7–9 used to differentiate between health symbols (Table S3), and stimuli No. 10–12 used to differentiate between health symbols (Table S4). Respondents answered the questions in order of agreement, each with options on a 9-point Likert scale, for a total of 12 questions.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, Y.G. and F.Z.; methodology, F.Z. and L.Z.; software, L.Z.; validation, L.Z. and Y.G.; formal analysis, Y.G.; investigation, F.Z. and H.Z.; resources, H.Z.; data curation, H.Z.; writing—original draft preparation, Y.G. and L.Z.; writing—review and editing, Y.G.; visualization, F.Z.; supervision, Y.G.; project administration, Y.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This study was conducted by the Anhui University 2020 Talent Introduction Scientific Research Start-up Fund Project (Project No. S020318019/001).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The experimental data used to support the findings of this study are included in the article.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Sustainability 15 13624 g001
Figure 1. Weight loss health product packaging model drawing.
Figure 1. Weight loss health product packaging model drawing.
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Table 1. The visual element index system of weight loss health product packaging.
Table 1. The visual element index system of weight loss health product packaging.
Target LayerGuideline LayerProgram LevelReference Sources
Weight loss health product packaging visual elementsI: Brand IdentityI1: Part of the brand identity
I2: Blurred brand identity
I3: Clear brand identity		Della Lucia S M, et al. (2007) [21]
C: Package ColorC1: Red packaging
C2: Colorless packaging
C3: Green packaging		Lunardo R, et al. (2021) [25]
Hoppu U, et al. (2018) [26]
Tijssen I O J M, et al. (2017) [13]
S: Health SymbolS1: Graphic health symbol
S2: Text health symbol
S3: No health symbol		Plasek B, et al. (2021) [28]
A: Appearance ShapeA1: Anthropomorphism
A2: Square box shape
A3: Cylindrical shape		Chitturi R, et al. (2022) [29]
Table 2. Basic analysis with demographic data.
Table 2. Basic analysis with demographic data.
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Table 3. Questionnaire dependability analysis.
Table 3. Questionnaire dependability analysis.
Analysis of Cronbach’s Alpha Dependability
ProjectsTotal Correlation and the Correction TermCronbach’s Alpha Following Word DeletionCronbach’s Alpha Coefficient
I1 vs. I20.4680.798
I3 vs. I20.4820.796
I3 vs. I10.3900.805
C1 vs. C20.2580.819
C3 vs. C20.5410.793
C3 vs. C10.5060.7950.812
S1 vs. S20.3770.805
S1 vs. S30.5110.795
S2 vs. S30.5310.792
A1 vs. A20.5530.791
A1 vs. A30.5720.787
A3 vs. A20.4580.800
Cronbach’s alpha standardization factor: 0.821.
Table 4. Analysis of the chi-square test.
Table 4. Analysis of the chi-square test.
Numerical ValueNumber of Degrees of FreedomProgressive Saliency (Bilateral)
Pearson Cardinal18.783 a80.016
Probability ratio18.54580.017
Correlates linearly7.87010.005
Number of active cases305
a Two cells (11.1%) have an expected count of fewer than 5, which is the lowest predicted count of 3.36.
Table 5. Cross-tabulation.
Table 5. Cross-tabulation.
Counting 123456789Total
Have you ever purchased12747 2437403535191
2751071313232214114
Total 91214143750635749305
Table 6. Detailed description of linear regression.
Table 6. Detailed description of linear regression.
Detailed Description of Linear Regression (n = 305)
Independent VariableCoefficient That Is Not Standardized Factor for Standardization tpVIFR2Refine R2F
BStandard ErrorBeta
Constant1.8220.251-7.2650.000 **-
C1 vs. C20.0590.0180.1973.1970.002 **1.252
C3 vs. C2−0.0470.030−0.110−1.5370.1251.693
C3 vs. C10.0390.0300.0921.3110.1911.6420.1170.081F (12,293) = 3.225
A1 vs. A2−0.0590.029−0.152−2.0040.046 *1.892 p = 0.000
A1 vs. A30.0510.0240.1632.1610.032 *1.879
A3 vs. A20.0530.0190.1862.7820.006 **1.474
Dependent variable: age group; D–W value: 1.654; * and ** indicate p < 0.05 and p < 0.01.
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Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Guo, Y.; Zhang, H. A Study on Female Consumers’ Perceptions of the Health Value of Visual Elements of Weight Loss Health Product Packaging. Sustainability 2023, 15, 13624. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151813624

AMA Style

Zhang F, Zhang L, Guo Y, Zhang H. A Study on Female Consumers’ Perceptions of the Health Value of Visual Elements of Weight Loss Health Product Packaging. Sustainability. 2023; 15(18):13624. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151813624

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Fan, Lu Zhang, Yanlong Guo, and Han Zhang. 2023. "A Study on Female Consumers’ Perceptions of the Health Value of Visual Elements of Weight Loss Health Product Packaging" Sustainability 15, no. 18: 13624. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151813624

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