A Guilt-free Guilty Pleasure - A Qualitative Study of Consumers’ Process of Coping with the Tension between Health and Hedonism

Abstract: Title: A Guilt-free Guilty Pleasure: A Qualitative Study of Consumers’ Process of Coping with the Tension between Health and Hedonism Course: BUSN39 - Degree Project in Global Marketing Authors: Y Nhi Do & Georgia Kakaletri Keywords: Guilt-free Narratives, Healthism, Hedonic Food Consumption, Sensemaking, Cultural Branding, Identity Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the way consumers make sense of guilt-free narratives in the case of hedonic food consumption and how they cope with the tension between healthism-hedonism. Background: Most relevant studies in the field of food and health focus on psychological motives, and mainly follow a quantitative methodology, which lacks an in-depth analysis of the topic. Theoretical Framework: The main theories used in this study are Weick’s theory of Sensemaking (1995), and Holt’s theory of Cultural Branding (2004). Methodology: Following a qualitative approach, the chosen method for this study was semi- structured interviews. In total, we conducted nine semi-structured interviews, using a non- probability purposive sampling, including participants from Europe (age range: 20-30). The participants were considered as living a healthy lifestyle. Findings: Three main themes derived from the conducted study; (1) Balancing act: preserving self-consistency and positive self-image, (2) Healthy food myths: bridging the health-hedonic gap, (3) Towards a healthier self: an ongoing and reflexive process. Conclusions: The sensemaking procedure of guilt-free narratives involves many elements in participants’ lifeworlds and the ongoing shifting myths. Participants cope with the tension between health and hedonism by developing the strategy of “the balancing act” in order to maintain their self-consistency and positive self-image. To accomplish this, they utilise healthy food myths which have emerged and spread through lifeworld actors and media. This process also tends to be constantly reflexive, where participants are in a continuing course of relearning, accepting and refusing these myths.