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Introduction
Many diets fail to meet the dietary guidelines proposed by national and global organizations (USA Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2010; World Health Organization [WHO], 2012), which has salient consequences for the increased prevalence of chronic "lifestyle diseases" such as cancer and diabetes (Cooper et al. , 2012; Jeumink et al. , 2012). Fortunately, intervention programs such as those based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1985) have demonstrated effectiveness in promoting healthy eating behaviors such as fruit and vegetable intake (Gratton et al. , 2007; Kothe et al. , 2012). Increased perceived behavioral control, more positive attitudes toward healthy eating and supportive social norms related to healthy eating behaviors have been found to predict both intentions and behaviors associated with healthy eating (Bassett-Gunter et al. , 2013; Blanchard et al. , 2009; Gronhoj et al. , 2013; McEachan et al. , 2011). However, some question the degree to which the primary components of the TPB (i.e. attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control) sufficiently explain intention and behavior because the level of prediction for intention varies quite dramatically (i.e. 28-40 per cent; Rise et al. , 2010). In response, researchers have begun exploring how other relevant constructs, such as identity, may improve our ability to explain healthy eating (Armitage and Conner, 1999; Astrom and Rise, 2001; Dowd and Burke, 2013; Rise et al. , 2010).
Identity, or "the salient part of the actor's self which relates to a particular behavior" (Armitage and Conner, 1999, p. 73), can be described as an enduring characterization of one's self-perception. According to identity theory, the self is shaped by cues within one's social environment (e.g. people in my network are "healthy eaters"). These cues, in turn, elicit ideas about personal meaning and purpose which promote corresponding behaviors ("I will eat more vegetables"; Brouwer and Mosack, 2012; Burke, 1991; Stets and Burke, 2000; Stryker, 1987).
Researchers and identity theorists have argued that self and identity can contribute to our understanding of intentions and behaviors in ways that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control cannot (Armitage and Conner, 2001; Astrom and Rise, 2001; Biddle et al. , 1985; Dean et al. , 2012; Rise et al. , 2010; Sparks and Guthrie, 1998). According to the TPB, perceived...