Exploring Strategies to Optimise the Impact of Food-Specific Inhibition Training on Children’s Food Choices

Abstract

Food-specific inhibition training (FSIT) is a computerised task requiring response inhibition to energy-dense foods within a reaction-time game. Previous work indicates that FSIT can increase the number of healthy foods (relative to energy-dense foods) children choose, and decrease calories consumed from sweets and chocolate. Across two studies, we explored the impact of FSIT variations (e.g., different response signals, different delivery modes) on children’s food choices within a time-limited hypothetical food-choice task. In Study 1, we varied the FSIT Go/No-Go signals to be emotive (happy vs. sad faces) or neutral (green vs. red signs). One-hundred-and-fifty-seven children were randomly allocated to emotive-FSIT, neutral-FSIT, or a non-food control task. Children participated in groups of 4–15. No significant FSIT effects were observed on food choices (all values of p > 0.160). Healthy-food choices decreased over time regardless of condition (p < 0.050). The non-significant effects could be explained by lower accuracy on energy-dense No-Go trials than in previous studies, possibly due to distraction in the group-testing environment. In Study 2, we compared computer-based FSIT (using emotive signals) and app-based FSIT (using neutral signals) against a non-food control with a different sample of 206 children, but this time children worked one-on-one with the experimenter. Children’s accuracy on energy-dense No-Go trials was higher in this study. Children in the FSIT-computer group chose significantly more healthy foods at post-training (M = 2.78, SE = 0.16) compared to the control group (M = 2.02, SE = 0.16, p = 0.001). The FSIT-app group did not differ from either of the other two groups (M = 2.42, SE = 0.16, both comparisons p > 0.050). Healthy choices decreased over time in the control group (p = 0.001) but did not change in the two FSIT groups (both p > 0.300) supporting previous evidence that FSIT may have a beneficial effect on children’s food choices. Ensuring that children perform FSIT with high accuracy (e.g., by using FSIT in quiet environments and avoiding group-testing) may be important for impacts on food choices though. Future research should continue to explore methods of optimising FSIT as a healthy-eating intervention for children.

The role of attention control in complex real-world tasks

“…In clinical psychology, attention-based interventions and training are often shown effective by way of identifying individuals with a specific vulnerability and targeting remediation for that particular domain. This will be discussed in more detail in later sections, but relevant here is that attention-based training has also been shown to be effective in neurotypical individuals, most notably by Verbruggen and colleagues (Lawrence et al, 2015;Porter et al, 2018;Porter et al, 2021;Stevens et al, 2015;Verbruggen et al, 2012). 5 In a novel and adaptive gambling procedure, Verbruggen et al (2012) offered participants monetary incentives for successful gambling decisions.…”

“…However, more optimistically, a series of experiments by Stevens et al (2015) replicated the training benefits induced by requiring participants to occasionally withhold responses, and importantly found that it was a consistent and reliable (but relatively small) effect that generalized to an untrained task. In a different sort of design, Porter et al (2018;Porter et al, 2021) reported evidence that children make healthier food decisions when given food-specific inhibition training, and Lawrence et al (2015) similarly reported that inhibition training resulted in healthier food-related decisions that were associated with self-reported weight loss six months after training. Still, this is a relatively unexplored area, and so the efficacy of attention-specific training is yet to be firmly established or refuted.…”

Food-Specific Inhibition Training for Food Devaluation: A Meta-Analysis

“…Our search identified 24 eligible studies (total m = 24) [ 14 , 17 , 26 , 30 , 34 , 35 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 ], 36 independent samples (total k = 36), and a total of 3032 participants (total N = 3032). A complete list of studies and their characteristics can be seen in Table 1 .…”

“… The effects of food-specific inhibition training on food evaluation [ 14 , 17 , 26 , 30 , 34 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 ]. …”

Evaluating eating behaviour, energy homeostasis and obesity in childhood onset craniopharyngioma: A feasibility study

“…Future research should investigate how these specific behaviours may change over time, from pre to post surgery, depending on factors such as hypothalamic damage. Food approach behaviours may be useful targets for interventions to help patients with their eating; food-related, response inhibition training for example, has been shown to reduce consumption of high energy dense foods in adults and children (48, 49). Conversely, encouraging food avoidance behaviours, such as slowness in eating or responsiveness to satiety, may also serve to reduce food intake and improve health-related quality of life.…”