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  • Original Article
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Learning about the energy density of liquid and semi-solid foods

International Journal of Obesity volume 36, pages 1229–1235 (2012)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

People learn about a food's satiating capacity by exposure and consequently adjust their energy intake.

Objective:

To investigate the effect of energy density and texture on subsequent energy intake adjustments during repeated consumption.

Design:

In a randomized crossover design, participants (n=27, age: 21±2.4 years, body mass index: 22.2±1.6 kg m−2) repeatedly consumed highly novel foods that were either low-energy-dense (LE: 30 kcal per 100 g) or high-energy-dense (HE: 130 kcal per 100 g), and either liquid or semi-solid, resulting in four product conditions. In each condition, a fixed portion of test food was consumed nine times as an obligatory part of breakfast, lunch and dinner on 3 consecutive days. All meals continued with an ad libitum buffet; food items for evening consumption were provided and the intake (kcal per day) was measured.

Results:

Buffet intake depended on energy density and day of consumption of the test foods (day*energy interaction: P=0.02); daily buffet intake increased from day 1 (1745±577 kcal) to day 3 (1979±567 kcal) in the LE conditions; intake did not change in the HE conditions (day 1: 1523±429 kcal, day 3: 1589±424 kcal). Food texture did not affect the intake (P=0.56).

Conclusions:

Intake did depend on energy density of the test foods; participants increased their buffet intake over days in response to learning about the satiating capacity of the LE foods, but did not change buffet intake over days when repeatedly consuming a HE food as part of their meal. The adjustments in intake were made irrespective of the food texture.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all participants, and Celine Brattinga, Ingrid Heemels, Rudolf van der Helm, Marja Kanning, Dorthe Klein, Els Siebelink, Cecile Spoorenberg and Merel van Veen for their help in carrying out the study. This work was supported by the TI Food and Nutrition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    P S Hogenkamp, A Stafleu, M Mars & C de Graaf

  2. Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    P S Hogenkamp, M Mars & C de Graaf

  3. TNO, Zeist, The Netherlands

    A Stafleu

Authors
  1. P S Hogenkamp
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  2. A Stafleu
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  3. M Mars
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  4. C de Graaf
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C de Graaf.

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Appendix

Appendix

Table 4 Nutritional composition (kcal per 100 g) and portion size of the foods provided at the ad libitum buffet
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Hogenkamp, P., Stafleu, A., Mars, M. et al. Learning about the energy density of liquid and semi-solid foods. Int J Obes 36, 1229–1235 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.231

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