Loud music in a restaurant? You’ll probably pick junk food

IF you want to lose a few pounds, it’s time to face the music – but make sure you turn down the volume.

We are more likely to choose unhealthy food when loud music is playing, research suggests. In an experiment at a cafe, burgers were more popular than a healthier salad when the music was turned up.

The theory is that softer music has a calming effect, allowing us to be more thoughtful about what we select. Louder music, however, raises our pulse and stimulates us – leading us to impulsively abandon good intentions and reach for a greasy cheeseburger and chips instead.

Researchers from the University of South Florida played different types of music at 55 and then 70 decibels at a cafe in Stockholm, Sweden.

Items on the menu were ranked as healthy and non-healthy, while neutral items included coffee and tea.

At 55 decibels – similar to the noise level that comes from a typical dishwasher – 32 per cent of items ordered by diners were healthy, 42 per cent were non-healthy and 26 per cent were neutral.

But at 70 decibels – a similar noise level to a vacuum cleaner – healthy choices fell to 25 per cent, non-healthy rose to 52 per cent and neutral fell to 23 per cent, the study published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Sciences found.

Dr Dipayan Biswas, a professor of marketing, said: ‘ Restaurants and supermarkets can use ambient music strategically to influence consumer buying behaviour.’