Marketing gadgets and food: no evidence of association with caloric intake in an experimental ad libitum snacking occasion study

Inclusion of gadgets, usually toys in food packages is a common marketing practice which is suspected of promoting obesogenic behaviours. To understand is toys packaged with food are indeed increasing the amount eaten by children, 120 children (balanced according to gender and age groups 3–5 and 6–8 years old) have been randomized in a school facility in San Louis Potosí in Mexico, to either be exposed, in an experimental setting, to food (snacks) alone or to food associated with toys. All children received the same meal during lunch time. The product chosen were packages where chocolate is associated with toys, usually in an egg form but not necessarily. Children were asked to eat at libitum , during the afternoon break, for a time of 20 minutes. During that time, children were in addition randomized to be exposed to a movie cartoon, with three increasing levels of exposure to commercial spots (1, 2 or 3 spots during the session time). Total K‐calories eaten are presented in the table. No significant differences emerges between “toys” and “no toys” groups. High levels of commercials are showing a trend(p=0.052) toward promoting an increase of calories eaten, but only in the “no toy” group. The inclusion of toys in food packages is per se not showing evidence of an increase of caloric intake in children.