About This Project

I am evaluating whether including an inexpensive toy with a smaller-sized meal, but not with the regular-sized version, will incentivize children to choose the smaller-sized meal at a restaurant, even among children with overweight and obesity. It is important to explore innovative options for reducing childhood overweight and obesity, including food marketing tactics that may have contributed to the pandemic in the first place.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

As we see a rise in childhood obesity, researchers started investigating food marketing tactics that may have contributed to the pandemic. For example, toy premiums in children’s meals (e.g., McDonald’s Happy Meals) effectively motivate children to visit fast food restaurants. At the same time, children’s meal bundles have undergone scrutiny for high energy density.

In the present research, we asked whether toy giveaways (premiums) could be used to incentivize children to choose a smaller-sized meal. We build on extant research in arguing that even highly different stimuli such as food and toys share a common physiological basis, hence allowing their behavioral substitution.

What is the significance of this project?

Related, two recent systematic reviews found character endorsers (e.g., McDonald’s Ronald McDonald) considerably increase children’s liking and preference for energy-dense foods. These tactics’ popularity among food marketers and meal bundle’s link to overweight and obesity have generated suspicions that toy premiums have incentivized over-consumption, even encouraging legal action. The effects of food marketing tactics on children are especially worrisome because they likely establish and reinforce long-lasting food choice patterns.

By utilizing existing food marketing tactics, we engage with tools already available in the restaurant industry. This experiment has implications for general public health and for marketers that are seeking to promote healthier menu options.

What are the goals of the project?

At present, there is no experimental evidence evaluating the potential reinforcing value of toys in smaller-sized meal choice. The goal of this project is to see what children choose when they are presented with a large meal portion with no toy and a small meal portion with a toy. Our hypothesis is that when given the choice, children will pick the small meal portion with a toy. Additionally, recent research showed that food cues are more attention-grabbing in individuals with obesity and that overweight individuals are more susceptible to larger portion sizes. We would like to understand if body mass index (BMI) will affect the choice of the smaller-sized meal. Finally, we hope to publish this research.