The effect of playing advergames promoting healthy or unhealthy foods on actual food intake among children

Abstract

This experimental study investigates whether playing advergames promoting healthy or unhealthy food influences food intake among children. Three hundred children aged 8–10 played an advergame and afterwards free intake of healthy and unhealthy foods was measured. Children in the experimental conditions either played a healthy food, unhealthy food or a neutral version of a branded memory game for 5 min before eating. Afterwards, they completed questionnaire measures. Children in the control group ate before completing the questionnaire, without playing a game. Preliminary results show that playing an advergame containing (either healthy or unhealthy) food cues leads to higher caloric intake of unhealthy and healthy food. Children who played the healthier version of the advergame did not eat significantly more healthy food than did those who played the less healthy version. Children who played the unhealthy version of the advergame did not eat significantly more unhealthy food than did those who played the healthier version. These findings suggest that playing advergames promoting food, regardless of the food being healthy or unhealthy, might increase the (caloric) amount of food intake in children.