TY  - JOUR
A1  - Warschburger, Petra
A1  - Gmeiner, Michaela Silvia
A1  - Morawietz, Marisa
A1  - Rinck, Mike
T1  - Battle of plates
BT  - a pilot study of an approach-avoidance training for overweight children and adolescents
JF  - Public health nutrition : PHN / The Nutrition Society
N2  - Objective: Approach-avoidance training (AAT) is a promising approach in obesity treatment. The present study examines whether an AAT is feasible and able to influence approach tendencies in children and adolescents, comparing implicit and explicit training approaches. Design/Setting/Subjects: Fifty-nine overweight children and adolescents (aged 8-16 years; twenty-six boys) participated in an AAT for food cues, learning to reject snack items and approach vegetable items. Reaction times in the AAT and an implicit association rest (IAT) were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Results: A significant increase in the AAT compatibility scores with a large effect (eta(2) = 0.18) was found. No differences between the implicit and explicit training approaches and no change in the IAT scores were observed. Conclusions: Automatic tendencies in children can be trained, too. The implementation of AAT in the treatment of obesity might support the modification of an unhealthy nutrition behaviour pattern. Further data from randomized controlled clinical trials are needed.
KW  - Approach-avoidance
KW  - Intervention
KW  - Child
KW  - Obesity
KW  - Feasibility study
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980017002701
SN  - 1368-9800
SN  - 1475-2727
VL  - 21
IS  - 2
SP  - 426
EP  - 434
PB  - Cambridge Univ. Press
CY  - Cambridge
ER  -