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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
06:28
A Chronic High-Intensity Interval Training and Diet-Induced Obesity Model to Maximize Exercise Effort and Induce Physiologic Changes in Rats
Published on: April 28, 2023
Food compensation: do exercise ads change food intake?
Ellen van Kleef1, Mitsuru Shimizu, Brian Wansink
1Wageningen University, Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands. Ellen.vanKleef@wur.nl
Summary
Exposure to exercise commercials significantly reduced participants' caloric intake by 21.7% compared to neutral ads. This suggests exercise advertising influences eating behaviors, particularly for individuals with higher body mass index.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Nutrition Science
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Promotional messages, like food advertising, are known to influence consumption.
- The impact of exercise advertising on food intake remains under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate the effect of exercise commercials on subsequent food intake.
- To compare the impact of exercise commercials versus control commercials on meal consumption.
Main Methods:
- 125 participants viewed either exercise-related or neutral commercials before lunch.
- The meal included pasta, salad, and chocolate pudding.
- Post-meal questionnaires assessed body mass index, exercise habits, motivation, and dietary restraint.
Main Results:
- Participants exposed to exercise commercials consumed 21.7% fewer calories than the control group.
- Exercise commercials increased the perceived healthiness and liking of the meal.
- Caloric intake reduction was more pronounced in participants with higher body mass index.
Conclusions:
- Exercise messages may remind individuals of the food-physical activity link, influencing eating behaviors.
- Exercise advertising impacts not only exercise behavior but also related behaviors like food consumption.
- Increased awareness of exercise advertising's influence on eating is warranted.
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