How Does Eating Behavior and Hunger in Virtual Reality Meals Compare to Real Meals?

NCT05734209 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2019-04249
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Objective: To investigate the differences between eating virtual and real-life meals and test the hypothesis that eating a virtual meal can reduce hunger among healthy women. Methods: Twenty healthy women will be recruited and partake in a randomized crossover study. The subjects will be asked to eat one introduction meal, two real meals, and two virtual meals, all containing real or virtual meatballs and potatoes. The real meals will be eaten on a plate placed on a scale which communicates with analytical software on a computer. The virtual meals will be eaten in a room, where participants are seated on a real chair in front of a real table, and fitted with the virtual-reality equipment. The eating behavior for both the real and virtual meals will be filmed. Hunger will be measured before and after the meals using questionnaires.

Conditions

Hunger

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Difference in hunger before to after meal

  Rated on visual analogue scale (range 0 - 100)

  Before to after meal (on average around 10 minutes)

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Food intake

  During meal (around 10 minutes)

• Meal duration

  During meal (around 10 minutes)

• Forkfuls

  During meal (around 10 minutes)

• Additions

  During meal (around 10 minutes)

• Chews

  During meal (around 10 minutes)

Study Arms (2)

Virtual, then real meal

EXPERIMENTAL

Participant first had two lunch sessions eating virtual food (meal), with a wash-out period of three days. Participants then had two lunch sessions eating real food (meal), with a wash-out period of three days.

Behavioral: Virtual food; Behavioral: Real food

Real, then virtual meal

EXPERIMENTAL

Participant first had two lunch sessions eating real food (meal), with a wash-out period of three days. Participants then had two lunch sessions eating virtual food (meal), with a wash-out period of three days.

Behavioral: Virtual food; Behavioral: Real food

Interventions

Virtual food BEHAVIORAL

Virtual food eaten using immersive virtual reality equipment

Real, then virtual meal; Virtual, then real meal

Real food BEHAVIORAL

Real food eaten using regular utensils

Real, then virtual meal; Virtual, then real meal

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 28 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• BMI between 18.5 kg/m2 to 29 kg/m2
• "normal" physical activity (measured using the short version of the international physical activity questionnaire, IPAQ)

You may not qualify if:

• pregnant or breastfeeding
• smoker
• temporomandibular disorder
• recent serious dental surgery (last 6 months)
• undergoing treatments known to affect appetite (e.g., use of some psychotropic drugs)
• previous history of eating disorders
• vegetarian
• aversion to the food served

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Karolinska Institutet: lead

Study Sites (1)

Karolinska Institutet

Stockholm, Huddinge, 14152, Sweden

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Glympi A, Odegi D, Zandian M, Sodersten P, Bergh C, Langlet B. Eating Behavior and Satiety With Virtual Reality Meals Compared With Real Meals: Randomized Crossover Study. JMIR Serious Games. 2023 Aug 10;11:e44348. doi: 10.2196/44348.

  PMID: 37561558 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Billy S Langlet, PhD

  Karolinska Institutet

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Masking was not possible in the current study, since it was obvious if you were eating virtual or real food. However, participants were not aware of the aim of the study.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: Randomized crossover study with 2 repeats. Each person participated in two virtual meals and two real meals in random order.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 15, 2022
• First Posted: February 17, 2023
• Study Start: October 3, 2020
• Primary Completion: June 9, 2022
• Study Completion: June 9, 2022
• Last Updated: February 17, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-02

Locations

SE (1)