Overweight children find food more reinforcing and consume more energy than do nonoverweight children.
BACKGROUND
The reinforcing value of food is a reliable index of motivation to eat and energy intake. Obese adults find food more reinforcing than do nonobese adults.


OBJECTIVE
The present study was designed to assess whether the relative reinforcing value of food differs as a function of weight status in 8-12-y-old children and whether the relative reinforcing value of food differs depending on the types of available nonfood alternatives.


METHODS
The reinforcing value of pizza (experiment 1) or snack foods (experiment 2) was measured on progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement in nonoverweight and overweight children. Experiment 2 also compared the relative reinforcing value of food and 2 nonfood alternatives: time to spend playing a hand-held video game or time to spend reading magazines or completing word searches or mazes.


RESULTS
In both experiments, overweight children found food more reinforcing and consumed more energy than did their leaner peers. In experiment 2, the relative reinforcing value of food versus sedentary activity was higher in overweight children, but lower in nonoverweight children, regardless of the type of alternative activity available.


CONCLUSIONS
These results show that overweight children find food more reinforcing than do nonoverweight children. This individual difference was replicated in different experiments using different types of foods and food alternatives. These studies provide support for studying food reinforcement as a factor associated with overweight and obesity.
Temple
Jennifer L
JL
University at Buffalo, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Buffalo, NY 14214-3000, USA.
Legierski
Christina M
CM
Giacomelli
April M
AM
Salvy
Sarah-Jeanne
SJ
Epstein
Leonard H
LH
D002648:Child; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D015430:Weight Gain