Why God Makes You Reach for Junk Food

We like to think that food choices are mainly about taste, price, convenience, or health. But new research suggests that something much less obvious can also influence what we choose: whether God is on our mind.

Researchers from La Trobe University and Monash University conducted six neuromarketing studies to investigate how God-related cues influence food choices. Across different settings and methods, they found that higher God salience increased consumers' preference for ultra-processed foods compared with unprocessed foods. The mechanism behind this effect is perceived healing by God.

The God Salience Effect

God salience refers to the extent to which thoughts about God are activated in a particular situation.The researchers tested God salience in several ways. Participants were exposed to explicit religious content, listened to religious music, or encountered God-related cues in a real-world setting. Across these studies, participants exposed to God-related cues were more likely to choose ultra-processed foods.

For example, in one study, participants listened either to a religious or secular part of a Christmas song before making grocery choices. Those in the high God salience condition selected more ultra-processed foods from a set of seven food pairs.

The effect also appeared outside the laboratory. In a field experiment in Iran, participants approached right after the Islamic call to prayer were more than twice as likely to pick date truffles over natural dates compared to those approached two hours later. No other variable changed. Just the timing relative to God salience.

The researchers also controlled for religion and belief in God in their analyses. The effect therefore cannot simply be explained by people who are more religious being more likely to choose ultra-processed foods.

Why Does It Happen?

The researchers propose that God salience changes food preferences through perceived healing. This refers to the belief that God can repair harm after it occurs. When people believe that God can restore their health if something goes wrong, the potential consequences of an unhealthy choice may feel less concerning.

The researchers also tested several alternative explanations, including unlimited divine support, hope, optimism, and God's presence. None of these significantly mediated the effect. This suggests that perceived healing is the mechanism explaining why God salience influences preference for ultra-processed foods.

It Only Happens Under Certain Conditions

The researchers found an important boundary condition: the ultra-processed food needs to be perceived as unhealthy.

In Study 3, participants saw advertisements for ultra-processed peanut butter. One version was framed as less healthy and included cookie dough and chocolate chips. The other was framed as healthier, with attributes such as protein content and its ingredient composition.

God salience increased willingness to try the ultra-processed product only when it was framed as unhealthy. When the product was framed as healthy, the effect disappeared.

This supports the researchers' proposed mechanism. Perceived healing becomes relevant when consumers perceive a potential health threat. If a product is already seen as safe or beneficial, there is less perceived harm that needs to be addressed through divine healing.

A Reliable God Makes a Difference

The researchers also looked at another important factor: how predictable people believe God's intervention to be. When God's intervention was described as consistent, orderly, and dependable, God salience increased preference for ultra-processed foods through perceived healing. When God's intervention was described as unpredictable or mysterious, the effect disappeared. When people see God's intervention as predictable, they may feel more able to rely on divine healing to offset the consequences of an unhealthy choice.

What This Means for Marketers and Communicators

This effect has real consequences for how you design health messaging, retail environments, and brand communications.

Religious cues in health campaigns can backfire. Many public health initiatives work through faith communities and use religious framing to encourage healthy eating. That approach can motivate community engagement. But if the messaging invokes divine protection or healing in the same breath as talking about unhealthy food risks, you may unintentionally reduce perceived personal responsibility. People hear "God will provide" and unconsciously translate it into "God will fix it."

Ambient religious cues in stores affect choices. In one study, participants who listened to a religious song (vs. a secular one) picked more ultra-processed items during a grocery shopping task. If your store or restaurant plays religious music, you may be nudging customers toward the chips and away from the salad without realizing it.

Framing ultra-processed products as "healthy" neutralizes the effect. When a product was described with health-oriented attributes, the Divine Protection Effect disappeared. Consumers did not invoke divine healing for something they already perceived as safe. This matters for how you position products. Health framing gives consumers a reason not to rely on God to clean up their dietary choices.

Take-Home Points

• God salience increases preference for ultra-processed foods primarily when those foods are framed as unhealthy.
• The effect is mediated by perceived healing by God, meaning the belief that God can repair harm after it occurs.
• When God's intervention is perceived as predictable, the effect is stronger. When it is perceived as unpredictable, the effect disappears.
• Religious cues in environments where food choices are made may therefore have unintended effects on dietary behavior.