Project REACH (Resilience to the Effects of Advertising in Children) is an exciting study for 7–9-year-old children. In this study, we are examining how advertisements and commercials affect behavioral and neurobiological responses in children. These include how advertising affects what a child eats, how they think and make decisions about food, and measuring their brain activity when viewing commercials. Your child will watch commercials in an MRI scanner, which takes pictures of their brain. Outside of the MRI scanner, children will play fun games, eat meals and snacks, and watch commercials.

The first visit will be at Noll Laboratory. You and your child will get height and weight measurements, and your child will receive a DXA scan and eat a meal. They will also watch a mock MRI scan video to prepare them for their MRI scan. The second visit is in the Social, Life and Engineering Imaging Center (SLEIC) at Chandlee Laboratory. Your child will practice for their MRI in the mock MRI scanner. Then they will have a real MRI scan if they are comfortable following the mock scan. The third and fourth visit will be at the Children’s Eating Behavior Laboratory, where your child will watch commercials, eat a meal, have a snack buffet, and play different computer games.

The fifth and final visit will take place one year after visit 4 at Noll Laboratory. You and your child will get height and weight measurements. Your child will receive a DXA scan, eat a meal and snack buffet, and play computer games.

If you are interested in learning more or signing up for this study, please fill out the Screening Form*

*Please note that our screening form allows us to make sure your child is eligible for the study. We will then be in contact with you to tell you if your child is eligible.