Open-label placebos to reduce overeating in children

Research has shown that placebos (inert substances like sugar pills) can still provide beneficial effects even if people know they are taking them. The planned study uses a non-deceptive placebo approach to reduce appetite and overeating in overweight children aged between 8 and 12 years. In Austria, almost one-third of all children are above the normal weight for their age and height, which is associated with health problems. The children will receive four weeks of daily placebo treatment. The placebo can be taken as needed when childrens appetite increases substantially. The children rate the intensity of their appetite and their emotions via a smartphone app. This app- assisted approach is applied to receive more detailed and continuous feedback throughout the placebo intervention. It is expected that the placebo will help the children to reduce their appetite and to control the amount of food that they eat when compared to four weeks with no placebo treatment (eating as usual).

Project Title: Weight Reduction via Open-Label Placebo in Children So-called food cues-such as food advertising-are omnipresent in Western societies. They can trigger cravings and overeating in both adults and children, which can lead to overweight or even obesity in the long term. The present project aimed to reduce cravings and overeating in overweight children (40 girls, 40 boys, ages 8-12) through a four-week application of an open-label placebo (OLP). Unlike traditional placebos, whose effects rely on deception, participants who take an OLP know that they are receiving an inert substance. Despite intensive recruitment efforts, not enough children could be enrolled for the study. This was primarily due to parents' skeptical attitudes toward this form of treatment. To learn more about the acceptance of OLPs, two surveys were conducted as part of the project. The results showed a clear polarization: people who considered the treatment concept implausible and believed that deception was necessary for placebo efficacy were critical of OLPs. In contrast, an open attitude toward holistic and complementary medicine approaches, as well as a less analytical thinking style, was associated with more positive attitudes toward OLPs. Additionally, two experiments were conducted with children and adolescents, in which OLPs were administered once. In a study with elementary school children (ages 8-12) and adolescents (ages 16-18), it was investigated whether an OLP spray could reduce appetite triggered by images of food (including high-calorie sweets). The OLP had a strong effect in the children, while it showed no effect in the adolescents, who expressed skepticism regarding the OLP. In another study with kindergarten children (ages 3-6), both deceptive and open placebos were used to increase motivation and enjoyment of physical activity. Here, it was shown that placebos increased the children's running speed. The results suggest that OLPs can be an ethically unproblematic tool to support health-promoting behavior in children. At the same time, they underscore the importance of education and adapting interventions to the beliefs of those affected, in order to maximize effectiveness and minimize reservations.