NFL fandom and unhealthy eating behavior: Exploring the role of introspective focus from a functionalist perspective of emotions

Abstract

We examine the effects of team identification on unhealthy eating behavior. Leveraging the functionalist perspective of emotions, we also examine how an introspective focus on particular affective states impacts this phenomenon. The results of two online studies (one cross-sectional survey, one experiment) indicate fans display emotional eating, implicit preferences toward high-calorie, indulgent foods, and higher body mass index (BMI) numbers when they identify highly with a sport team. Further, fans’ introspective focuses on anger and happiness (vs. hope) lead team identification to have a more positive (vs. more negative) relationship with indulgent food consumption. We contribute to the literature by highlighting how sport fans’ goal-directed food consumption is driven by their affective states. After presenting findings, we unpack implications of this project for population health and promotional practices for policy-makers and managers.