Effect of a Pleasure-Oriented Intervention Conducted at Home on the Energy Intake of Midafternoon Snacks Consumed by Children

This study assessed the impact of a hedonic intervention on the energy intake of midafternoon snacks consumed by children at home. Before the intervention (T1), after (T2), and 2 months later (T3), a booklet was sent to 187 children aged 7-11 years inviting them to describe their snack consumptions. After T1, children were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 94), who received hedonic boxes to stimulate the sensory, psychosocial, and interpersonal pleasure of consuming healthy foods, or to a control group (n = 93), who received boxes targeting table decoration. Between T1 and T2, a significant decrease in energy intake was observed in the experimental group but not in the control group; the intervention decreased the amount of food eaten but did not change their average nutritional quality. Effects among "heavy " eaters were larger than among "light " eaters. Promoting conscious sensory experiences may favor children's epicurean pleasure, which could help reduce energy intake.