Promoting Resilience to Food Commercials Decreases Susceptibility to Unhealthy Food Decision-Making

Developmental Decision Making Study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how food commercials influence food choices in children and their parents.

The proposed research will investigate food decision-making in youth. Childhood obesity is a risk factor for health issues, thus preventing adverse effects of childhood obesity by promoting healthy eating habits and providing effective interventions are important. Television food commercials advertising calorie-dense and high in salt and sugar foods are known to contribute unhealthy food choices and obesity. Thus the proposed study will examine how the advertising intervention focusing on increasing advertising knowledge and changing affective attitudes toward commercials impacts susceptability to commercials and food decisions in youth.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children had to be between 8-12.9 years old (including 8 year olds, NOT including 13 year olds.
• Had to be able to speak English as their primary language.
• Self-reported normal hearing and vision.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Did not speak English
• Data from children with history of neurological conditions, clinically significant psychopathology, or learning disabilities reported by parents (e.g., Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, depression) will be excluded.