title: Cookie or fruit? Relative reinforcing value of snack foods among preschoolers with overweight/obesity compared to healthy weight.
abstract: The reinforcing value of food is an important determinant of food intake. Research has yet to examine the relative reinforcing value (RRV) of snack foods in young children with overweight and obesity (OW/OB). The current study compared the RRV of high-energy dense foods (cookies) to low-energy dense foods (fruits) between preschoolers with OW/OB and healthy weight (HW). RRV of cookies and fruits in preschoolers with OW/OB (n = 30; Mage= 4.4 ± 0.84; 60% male) and HW (n = 30; Mage= 4.5 ± 0.85; 70% male) was assessed with a developmentally-tailored computer program which used a progressive fixed ratio reward schedule. The results showed that the RRV of cookies was significantly higher for preschoolers with OW/OB compared to HW while the RRV of fruits was significantly higher for preschoolers with HW compared to OW/OB. These results suggest that cookies are more reinforcing for preschoolers with OW/OB and less reinforcing for preschoolers with HW. Finding ways to reduce the reinforcing value of high-energy dense snack foods and identify alternatives that are as reinforcing for preschoolers is a challenge for weight control treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Providence, RI 02909, USA. Electronic address: marybeth.mccullough@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: McCullough
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, Burnet Avenue MLC 7039, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guilkey
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, Burnet Avenue MLC 7039, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stark
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000073417:Dietary Sugars; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012201:Reward; D062410:Snacks / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000073417:Dietary Sugars
keywords: Pediatric obesity; Preschoolers; Relative reinforcing value; Snack foods