Brain responses to watching food commercials compared with nonfood commercials: a meta-analysis on neuroimaging studies

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to identify and meta-analyse the neuroimaging data and hence synthesise a brain map showing the neural correlates of watching food commercials.

Design: Published studies were retrieved and included into the analysis if they evaluated brain responses to food commercials with functional MRI and reported results based on whole-brain analysis in standard brain coordinates.

Setting: No additional restriction was placed on the search, such as the publication year and age of participants.

Participants: Seven papers that composed of a total of 442 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All of them recruited children or adolescents.

Results: Food commercials caused larger brain responses than nonfood counterparts in the cuneus on both hemispheres, which played a role in dietary self-control and modulation of food craving. Other brain regions involved in food commercials processing included the left culmen, left middle occipital gyrus and the right superior parietal lobule, which could be related to reward, emotional responses and habit formation.

Conclusion: These neural correlates may help explain the food choice and eating behaviours of children and adolescents that might be relevant to the development of obesity.