Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Paper
  • Published:

Open-loop feedback to increase physical activity in obese children

International Journal of Obesity volume 24, pages 888–892 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated whether making access to sedentary activities contingent on physical activity would increase physical activity.

DESIGN: Experimental.

PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-four obese children aged 8–12 y were randomized to one of three groups in which children had to accumulate 750 or 1500 pedometer counts to earn 10 min of access to video games or movies, or to a control group in which access to sedentary behaviors was provided noncontingently.

MEASUREMENTS: Physical activity in the 20 min experimental session was measured by electronic pedometer and triaxial accelerometer (ie TriTrac®). Activity liking was measured by visual analog scales. Anthropometric and demographic characteristics were also assessed.

RESULTS: Children in the 750 and 1500 count contingency groups engaged in significantly more physical activity and spent more time in moderate intensity activity or higher compared with controls. Children in the Contingent 1500 group engaged in more activity and spent more time in moderate or greater intensity activity compared to children in the Contingent 750 group.

CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that contingent access to sedentary activities can reinforce physical activity in obese children, and changes in physical activity level depend in part on the targeted physical activity goal.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Andersen RE, Crespo CJ, Bartlett SJ, Cheskin LJ, Pratt M . Relationship of physical activity and television watching with body weight and level of fatness among children: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey JAMA 1998 279: 938–942.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Dietz WH, Gortmaker SL . Do we fatten our children at the television set? Obesity and television viewing in children and adolescents Pediatrics 1985 75: 807–812.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Epstein LH, Smith JA, Vara LS, Rodefer JS . Behavioral economic analysis of activity choice in obese children Health Psychol 1991 10: 311–316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Epstein LH, Saelens BE, Myers MD, Vito D . Effects of decreasing sedentary behaviors on activity choice in obese children Health Psychol 1997 16: 107–113.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Epstein LH, Saelens BE, O'Brien JG . Effects of reinforcing increases in active behavior versus decreases in sedentary behavior for obese children Int J Behav Med 1995 2: 41–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Timberlake W, Farmer-Dougan VA . Reinforcement in applied settings: figuring out ahead of time what will work Psychol Bull 1991 110: 379–391.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Coleman KJ, Paluch R, Epstein LH . A method for delivering reinforcement during exercise Behav Res Meth Instruments Comput 1997 29: 286–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Saelens BE, Epstein LH . Behavioral engineering of activity choice in obese children Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1998 22: 275–277.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Faith MS, Berman N, Heo M, Pietrobelli A, Gallagher D, Epstein LH, Eiden MT, Allison DB . Effects of contingent-TV on physical activity and TV-viewing in obese children (submitted).

  10. Dworkin BR . Learning and physiological regulation Univer-sity of Chicago Press: Chicago, Il 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bassett DR, Ainsworth BE, Leggett SR, Mathien CA, Main JA, Hunter DC et al. Accuracy of five electronic pedometers for measuring distance walked Med Sci Sports Exerc 1996 28: 1071–1077.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kilanowski CK, Consalvi AR, Epstein LH . Validation of an electronic pedometer for measurement of physical activity in children Pediatr Exerc Sci 1999 11: 63–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Must A, Dallal GE, Dietz WH . Reference data for obesity: 85th and 95th percentiles of body mass index (wt/ht2) and triceps skinfold thickness Am J Clin Nutr 1991 53: 839–846.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Must A, Dallal GE, Dietz WH . Reference data for obesity: 85th and 95th percentiles of body mass index (wt/ht2)—a correction Am J Clin Nutr 1991 54: 773.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Hollingshead AB . Four factor index of social status Yale University Press: New Haven, CN 1975.

  16. Eston RG, Rowlands AV, Ingledew DK . Validity of heart rate, pedometry, and accelerometry for predicting the energy cost of children's activities J Appl Physiol 1998 84: 362–371.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Rowlands AV, Eston RG, Ingledew DK . Relationship between activity levels, aerobic fitness, and body fat in 8- to 10-yr-old children J Appl Physiol 1999 86: 1428–1435.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wilkinson L . SYSTAT 6.0 for Windows SPSS Inc.: Chicago, IL 1996.

  19. Saelens BE, Epstein LH . The rate of sedentary activities determines the reinforcing value of physical activity Health Psychol 1999 18: 655–659.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Hayes SC, Ju W . The applied implications of rule-governed behavior In: O'Donohue W, ed. Learning and behavior therapy Allyn & Bacon: Needham Heights, MA 1998,pp 374–391.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Dishman RK . Increasing and maintaining exercise and physical activity Behav Ther 1991 22: 345–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Epstein LH, Saelens BE . Behavioral economies of obesity: food intake and energy expenditure. InBickel WK, Vuchinich RE, eds. Reframing health behavior change with behavioral economics Lawrence Erlbaum: Mahwah, NJ, 2000, 293–312.

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by grant no. R01 HD 38284 and grant no. R01 HD 25997 awarded to Dr Epstein.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260, NY, USA

    GS Goldfield, LE Kalakanis, MM Ernst & LH Epstein

Authors
  1. GS Goldfield
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. LE Kalakanis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. MM Ernst
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. LH Epstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Goldfield, G., Kalakanis, L., Ernst, M. et al. Open-loop feedback to increase physical activity in obese children. Int J Obes 24, 888–892 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801248

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801248

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links