Eating our anxieties away: How low collective efficacy about climate change fuels vice food consumption

Addressing climate change and safeguarding consumers’ health are both critical imperatives. Yet balancing these objectives can be difficult, because perceptions of low collective efficacy of tackling climate change may lead to increased consumption of unhealthy food. Drawing on appraisal theory, this study examines how (i.e., whether, why, and when) low collective efficacy about climate change influences the consumption of vice food. Across four studies (three online experiments and one field experiment), we show that consumers’ low collective efficacy perceptions lead to increased consumption of vice food, not healthy food. The driving psychological mechanism is anxiety, more so than alternative emotional explanations (e.g., fear). The mediating effect of anxiety is also amplified among vulnerable consumers with low self-control. This research provides insights that support the simultaneous achievement of addressing climate change and promoting individual health and well-being, with significant implications for policymakers and society at large.