Effect of video game playing and a glucose preload on subjective appetite, subjective emotions, and food intake in overweight and obese boys.

Video game playing (VGP) is associated with overweight/obesity (OW/OB). VGP and caloric preloads in the pre-meal environment influence short-term food intake (FI) in healthy weight children. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of pre-meal VGP and a glucose preload on subjective emotions, subjective appetite, and FI in boys with OW/OB. On four separate mornings, boys with OW/OB (n = 22; mean±SD: age = 11.9±1.6 years; BMI percentile = 94.3±3.9) participated in four test conditions. Two hours after a standardized breakfast, boys consumed equally sweetened preloads (250 mL) of sucralose (0 kcal) or glucose (200 kcal), with or without 30 min of subsequent VGP. FI from an ad libitum pizza meal was measured immediately after all test conditions. Subjective appetite was measured at 0 (baseline), 15, and 30 min. Subjective emotions (aggression, anger, excitement, disappointment, happiness, upset, and frustration) were measured at 0 and 30 min. VGP did not affect FI, but the glucose preload decreased FI compared with the sucralose control (∆ = -103±48 kcal, p < 0.01). However, cumulative FI (preload kcal + meal kcal) was 9% higher after the glucose preload (p < 0.01). Subjective appetite increased with time (p < 0.05) but was not influenced by preload or VGP. Frustration was the only subjective emotion that increased following VGP (p < 0.01). A glucose preload, but not VGP, suppressed FI in boys with OW/OB, suggesting a primary role of physiological factors in short-term FI regulation.