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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Published on: June 5, 2016

Ability to delay gratification and BMI in preadolescence.

Amanda S Bruce¹, William R Black, Jared M Bruce

¹Department of Psychology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA. bruceam@umkc.edu

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)

|December 15, 2010

Summary

Children with higher body mass index (BMI) show less ability to delay gratification. Obese children saved fewer points for larger rewards compared to healthy weight peers, impacting obesity interventions.

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Area of Science:

Behavioral Science
Pediatric Health
Obesity Research

Background:

Delay of gratification is crucial for self-control.
Higher BMI in preadolescents is a growing public health concern.
Understanding self-control deficits in childhood obesity is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

To test if higher BMI in preadolescents correlates with reduced delay of gratification.
To examine delayed gratification using an ecologically valid measure in a pediatric obesity intervention.

Main Methods:

Retrospective analysis of point savings over 12 weeks in the Healthy Hawks program.
59 children (ages 8-12) participated.
Spearman correlation and t-tests analyzed BMI percentile and point savings.

Main Results:

Higher BMI percentile was significantly associated with lower point savings (r = 0.33, P = 0.01).
Obese children saved significantly fewer points than healthy weight and overweight children (P < 0.01).
Results indicate a preference for immediate rewards in children with higher BMIs, even for non-food items.

Conclusions:

Findings support the theory that obese preadolescents exhibit reduced delay of gratification.
The study highlights potential targets for obesity interventions to improve self-control skills.
Implications for tailoring behavioral strategies in pediatric obesity treatment.