Modifying food items valuation and weight with gamified executive control training

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science
• Nutritional Psychology

Background:

• Executive control of motor responses to food influences perceived value and consumption.
• Cognitive interventions like motor control and attentional tasks are explored for improving eating habits.
• The efficacy of these interventions is debated due to potential expectation biases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if a one-month intervention combining Go/NoGo and Cue approach training alters food palatability and body weight.
• To determine the causal influence of motoric control on food item valuation, controlling for expectations.

Main Methods:

• A parallel, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted.
• Participants engaged in gamified Go/NoGo and Cue approach training.
• A control group received training with biased stimulus-response rules to balance expectations.

Main Results:

• The experimental group showed a greater decrease in unhealthy food palatability (20.6%) compared to the control group (13.1%).
• No significant increase in healthy food palatability ratings was observed.
• No significant weight loss was detected in either group.

Conclusions:

• Repeated inhibition of motor responses to food cues reduces their perceived value.
• Attentional biases away from food cues contribute to decreased perceived value.
• While effective in reducing unhealthy food palatability, the intervention did not impact healthy food palatability or body weight.