The applications of functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are burgeoning. One recent usage has been on the effect of food logos on brain activation in obese and healthy children (J Pediatr 2013; 162: 759-64 & editorial 672-73).
After a pilot validation study to select food and nonfood logos, the authors recruited 10 healthy children with mean body mass index (BMI) at 50th percentile and 10 obese children with mean BMI at the ~98 percentile. After completing reports on measures of self-control, the children underwent functional MRI while viewing food and nonfood logos.
The key findings were that healthy weight children, when viewing food logos, demonstrated greater activation in brain regions associated with cognitive control/self-control including Brodmann’s area 10 and the inferior frontal gyrus bilaterally. Obese children showed greater activation in ‘reward’ regions of the brain when shown food logos.
While these studies should be considered preliminary due to the small sample size, they are intriguing nevertheless. The editorial takes these findings and places them into context.
- Children view ~6000 commercials annually; the majority feature calorie-dense and nutrient poor foods
- “Any food can be marketed in any way, to any age group, and even the most vulnerable demographic groups can be targeted.”
- “It is tempting to suggest interventions…to help resist marketed foods.” However, the author notes that this strategy will fail due to increases in the “toxic influence” of advertising.
- “Food brands are already commonplace in …sporting facilities, schools..in online advergaming..and in social media.”
- “Targeted advertising has been related to greater consumption of high-calorie foods (eg. fast foods) by African-American and Hispanic children”
- Policy initiatives “to turn back the tide of childhood obesity” are needed; studies that show a direct impact on children’s brains may be persuasive in compelling change. Without these changes, companies will continue doing neuroscience research and will exploit their findings.
Bottom-line: If one uses an analogy to tobacco, it is not quite 1964 for the food industry.
“In 1964 the Surgeon General of the U.S. (the chief doctor for the country) wrote a report about the dangers of cigarette smoking. He said that the nicotine and tar in cigarettes cause lung cancer. In 1965 the Congress of the U.S. passed the Cigarette Labelling and Advertising Act. It said that every cigarette pack must have a warning label on its side stating ‘Cigarettes may be hazardous to your health.'” History of Tobacco – Health & Literacy Special Collection
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