Expected satiation of nutritive and non-nutritive sweetened beverages

Abstract

Energy-containing beverages are thought to play a causal role in promoting obesity. This hypothesis is based on apparent failure to accurately compensate for liquid calories at a subsequent test meal. Here, we sought to explore evidence for a different form of sensitivity. Specifically, we explored the effects of different types of beverage on the expected satiation of a meal. Participants compared pictures of 6 different test meals to a portion of rice with vegetables. Each meal comprised one of two types of food, together with one of three different beverages (water, Diet Coke, and Coca-Cola). Over 60 trials, the portion of rice and vegetables was manipulated using an Adaptive Probit Estimation Algorithm. On each trial, the participants compared the test meal to a portion of rice, and selected the meal that had greater expected satiation. Our results indicate that meals that include Coke and Diet Coke are expected to deliver greater satiation than those that include water (mean difference: 30 kcal). However, very little discrimination was observed between the nutritive and non-nutritive-sweetened colas. These findings contrast previous studies, because they show sensitivity to the effects of different beverages, expressed in a measure of expected satiation. Expected satiation is important because it is closely associated with portion selection and food intake. In future, we aim to compare differences in expected satiation against solid foods that have a similar macronutrient profile to our test beverages, and to stratify our results according to usage of diet and non-diet products.