Energy Density Of Meals Research Articles

Passive overconsumption? Limited evidence of compensation in meal size when consuming foods high in energy density: Two randomised crossover experiments

Research has drawn contradictory conclusions as to whether humans adjust meal size based on meal energy density (ED) or exhibit ‘passive overconsumption’. Recent observational research has suggested that meal EDs greater than 1.7–2 kcal/g are compensated for through consumption of smaller meal sizes. We tested the relationship between ED and meal size by examining energy intake of meals at three levels of ED: low (∼1.0 kcal/g), medium (1.7–2.0 kcal/g) and high (>3.0 kcal/g). Two randomised, crossover experiments were conducted with adult participants. In experiment 1 (n = 34, 62% female, mean age 37.4 years), participants were served a lunch including a familiar low, medium or high ED dessert to eat ad libitum. In experiment 2 (n = 32, 66% female, mean age 36.4 years), participants were served a lunch meal manipulated to be low, medium or high ED to eat ad libitum. For experiment 2, later energy intake (post-meal energy intake) was also measured. In experiment 1, participants consumed a similar amount of energy from the low vs. medium ED food. The high ED food was associated with an increased intake of approximately 240 kcals compared to medium (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 2.31) and low (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 4.42) ED foods. In experiment 2, there were no significant differences in meal size (grams) between ED meals, resulting in a largely linear relationship between meal ED and energy intake across the three ED conditions (‘passive overconsumption’). There were no differences in later energy intake between ED conditions. Contrary to recent suggestions, foods higher in ED were not associated with adjustments to meal size and were associated with increased energy intake across two experiments. Reformulation of foods high in ED may be an effective population level approach to reducing energy intake and obesity.Clinical trial registry number: NCT05744050; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05744050.

Further evidence for sensitivity to energy density and a two-component model of meal size: Analysis of meal calorie intakes in Argentina and Malaysia

Previously, we demonstrated a non-linear association between meal caloric intake and meal energy density (ED, kcal/g) in data from a controlled trial in the US and from free-living participants in the UK [1]. In both datasets, meal caloric intake increased with ED in lower energy-dense meals (below ∼1.75 kcal/g) and decreased in higher energy-dense meals (above ∼1.75 kcal/g). In the current study, we sought to explore whether this pattern extends to data from free-living participants in Argentina (N = 2738 meals) and Malaysia (N = 4658 meals). Again, a significant breakpoint was found in both the Argentinean (2.04 kcal/g (SE = 0.06)) and Malaysian (2.17 kcal/g (SE = 0.06)) datasets with mean centered meal caloric intake increasing with ED below the breakpoint and decreasing above the breakpoint. These results lend further support for our two-component theoretical model of meal size (g) in which a volume signal is dominant in lower energy-dense meals and a calorie-content signal is dominant in higher energy-dense meals. Together, our research adds to evidence supporting human sensitivity to calories and exposes a complexity in the correspondence between meal energy content and meal size in everyday (non-manipulated) meals. Further research is needed to provide causal evidence for this sensitivity and whether individual variation impacts meal size and energy balance.

The Assessment of Energy Content and Density of a Self-Selected Meal with and without Avocado

ObjectivesIn a free-living intervention study, we determine if the inclusion of an avocado in a self-selected meal impacted its energy content (kcal) and energy density (kcal/g) as well as the energy content of the subsequent meal. We hypothesized that the inclusion of one avocado in a meal would impact both the energy content and density of that meal and the energy content of the subsequent meal.MethodsDietary data from 172 participants (mean age = 51 y) in the intervention arm of the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial were collected via unannounced 24-hour recalls before and during the intervention. The energy density (kcal/g) of a meal containing avocado during intervention was compared with a corresponding non-avocado meal before the intervention. The energy contents of subsequent meals were likewise compared. Energy density was computed with and without beverages consumed at a meal. Differences were determined with t-tests.ResultsThe daily mean energy intake before the intervention 1885 ± 758 kcal. During the intervention, the mean intake was 2065 ± 765 kcal indicating that the inclusion of avocado at meals resulted in a significant increase in total daily energy intake (p < 0.05). However, the total daily energy density remained the same (p = 0.18). Compared to the main meal without avocado, the inclusion of avocado at a comparable meal increased the energy content of the meal (breakfast: + 148 kcal, p = 0.0018; lunch: + 235 kcal, p = 0.005; and dinner: + 276 kcal, p = 0.001). However, the meal's energy density remained the same, whether or not beverages were taken into consideration. No significant changes in the energy content of the subsequent meal after the avocado meal were observed (p > 0.05).Conclusions Among our free-living subjects, including a whole avocado at a meal increased the energy intake for that meal but did not increase its energy density or the energy content of the subsequent meal. Further analysis needs to be conducted to determine how this impacts body weight.Funding SourcesHAT Avocado Board.

The energy density of meals and snacks consumed by young Australian adults (18-30 years old) are influenced by preparation location but not screen use nor social interactions: findings from the MYMeals wearable camera study.

The present study examined the association of contextual factors (social and food preparation location) with the energy density of meals and snacks consumed in a sample of young Australian adults (18-30 years old) identified using wearable camera technology. Over three consecutive days, a subsample of young adults wore a wearable camera that captured images in 30 s intervals. Eating episodes from 133 participants were annotated for preparation location and social context (covering social interaction and screen use). Over the same period, participants completed daily 24 h recalls. The nutritional composition of meals and snacks was calculated by matching the items identified in the camera to the 24 h recall using time and date stamps. Self-reported data (weight and height) was used to calculate body mass index and (residential postcode) to assign socio-economic status. The association of context and demographic factors with energy density was determined using a mixed linear regression model employing the bootstrap method with bias-corrected and accelerated. In total, 1817 eating episodes were included in the analysis (n 8 preparation unclear and n 15 food components could not be identified excluded). Food prepared within the home was 1⋅1 kJ/g less energy-dense than other preparation locations. Lunches (CI -1⋅7 to -0⋅3) and dinners (CI -1⋅6 to -0⋅5) were both 1⋅0 kJ/g lower in energy density than breakfasts. Snacks were 3⋅5 kJ/g (CI 2⋅8-4⋅1) more energy-dense than breakfasts. Food prepared outside the home and food consumption during snacking appear to be adversely contributing to energy-dense food intake.

Comparing the portion size effect in women with and without extended training in portion control: A follow-up to the Portion-Control Strategies Trial

Following a 1-year randomized controlled trial that tested how weight loss was influenced by different targeted strategies for managing food portions, we evaluated whether the effect of portion size on intake in a controlled setting was attenuated in trained participants compared to untrained controls. Subjects were 3 groups of women: 39 participants with overweight and obesity from the Portion-Control Strategies Trial, 34 controls with overweight and obesity, and 29 controls with normal weight. In a crossover design, on 4 different occasions subjects were served a meal consisting of 7 foods that differed in energy density (ED). Across the meals, all foods were varied in portion size (100%, 125%, 150%, or 175% of baseline). The results showed that serving larger portions increased the weight and energy of food consumed at the meal (P < .0001), and this effect did not differ across groups. Increasing portions by 75% increased food intake by a mean (±SEM) of 111 ± 10 g (27%) and increased energy intake by 126 ± 14 kcal (25%). Across all meals, however, trained participants had lower energy intake (506 ± 15 vs. 601 ± 12 kcal, P = .006) and lower meal ED (1.09 ± 0.02 vs. 1.27 ± 0.02 kcal/g; P = .003) than controls, whose intake did not differ by weight status. The lower energy intake of trained participants was attributable to consuming meals with a greater proportion of lower-ED foods than controls. These results further demonstrate the robust nature of the portion size effect and reinforce that reducing meal ED is an effective way to moderate energy intake in the presence of large portions.

Diet composition and provisioning rates of nestlings determine reproductive success in a subtropical seabird

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 581:149-164 (2017) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12301 Diet composition and provisioning rates of nestlings determine reproductive success in a subtropical seabird Juliet S. Lamb1,2,*, Yvan G. Satgé1,2, Patrick G. R. Jodice1,3 1Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, 2South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and 3US Geological Survey South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 260 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA *Corresponding author: jslamb@clemson.edu ABSTRACT: Understanding how both quality and quantity of prey affect the population dynamics of marine predators is a crucial step toward predicting the effects of environmental perturbations on population-level processes. The Junk Food Hypothesis, which posits that energetic content of prey species may influence reproductive capacity of marine top predators regardless of prey availability, has been proposed as a mechanism by which changes in prey populations could affect predator populations in high latitude systems; however, support for this hypothesis has been inconsistent across studies, and further data are needed to elucidate variation in the relative importance of prey quantity and quality, both among predator species and across ecological systems. We tested the relative importance of prey quantity and quality to nestling survival in the eastern brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis carolinensis across 9 breeding colonies in the northern Gulf of Mexico that varied in underlying availability of a key prey resource, the Gulf menhaden Brevoortia patronus. Both feeding frequency and meal mass were significantly correlated to energy provisioning rates and nestling survival, while energy density of meals had little effect on either metric. Compared to previous results from cold-water systems, we found lower and less variable energy densities (4.4 kJ g-1, vs. 5.2 to 6.5 kJ g-1 in other studies) and lipid content (9% dry mass, vs. 16 to 23% in other studies) of common prey items. While Gulf menhaden was the most common prey species at all colonies, the proportion of menhaden fed to nestlings varied and was not strongly correlated to fledging success. We conclude that quantity rather than quality of prey, particularly small schooling fish, is the main driver of brown pelican reproductive success in this system, and that environmental perturbations affecting biomass, distribution, and abundance of forage fish could substantially affect brown pelican reproductive success. KEY WORDS: Junk Food Hypothesis · Brown pelican · Energy density · Foraging · Gulf of Mexico Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Lamb JS, Satgé YG, Jodice PGR (2017) Diet composition and provisioning rates of nestlings determine reproductive success in a subtropical seabird. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 581:149-164. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12301 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 581. Online publication date: October 13, 2017 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2017 Inter-Research.

Double trouble: Portion size and energy density combine to increase preschool children's lunch intake

BackgroundBoth portion size and energy density (ED) have substantial effects on intake; however, their combined effects on preschool children's intake have not been examined when multiple foods are varied at a meal. ObjectiveWe tested the effects on intake of varying the portion size and ED of lunches served to children in their usual eating environment. DesignIn a crossover design, lunch was served in 3 childcare centers once a week for 6weeks to 120 children aged 3–5y. Across the 6 meals, all items were served at 3 levels of portion size (100%, 150%, or 200%) and 2 levels of ED (100% or 142%). The lunch menu had either lower-ED or higher-ED versions of chicken, macaroni and cheese, vegetables, applesauce, ketchup, and milk. Children's ratings of the foods indicated that the lower-ED and higher-ED meals were similarly well liked. ResultsThe total weight of food and milk consumed at meals was increased by serving larger portions (P<0.0001) but was unaffected by varying the ED (P=0.22). Meal energy intake, however, was independently affected by portion size and ED (both P<0.0001). Doubling the portions increased energy intake by 24% and increasing meal ED by 42% increased energy intake by 40%. These effects combined to increase intake by 175±12kcal or 79% at the higher-ED meal with the largest portions compared to the lower-ED meal with the smallest portions. The foods contributing the most to this increase were chicken, macaroni and cheese, and applesauce. The effects of meal portion size and ED on intake were not influenced by child age or body size, but were significantly affected by parental ratings of child eating behavior. ConclusionStrategically moderating the portion size and ED of foods typically consumed by children could substantially reduce their energy intake without affecting acceptability.

Impact of economic change on nutrition quality in preschool institutions in Macva district

Introduction: Health food safety is an absolute priority, whether it is a physical-chemical and microbiological safety. This applies particularly to vulnerable population groups. Particularly vulnerable population group is pre-school children. In this age, in addition to health security, as an important segment of the nutritional value of food. Nutritional value represents the energy value of meals, as well as a total in a certain amount (100g), as it looks at the energy density of meals. A reliable indicator of nutritional value, in addition to the mere satisfaction of energy needs, the amount and concentration ratio of macronutrients. This paper deals with the energy value of daily meals in preschools in Macva administrative district. The quality of the meal depends on several factors, such as the selection of food, preparation methods, expertise, personnel to create menus. This work focused on the economic situation in the whole society, as a factor affecting the quality of daily meals in preschools in Macva administrative district. Aim: To investigate the existence of statistically significant differences in the quality of daily meals in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Materials and methods: During the period under review were collected and analyzed data on the quality of the food at nine preschools in Macva administrative district. Data on the total caloric value, energy value in 100 grams, as well as data on the proportion of macronutrients carbohydrates, fats and proteins are analized and compared. The comparison of the results with the current regulations in the Republic of Serbia, and testing the statistical significance of the energy value variation and content of macronutrients in the observed poreioda. Results and Conclusion: The results showed that the total energy value does not satisfy 75% of daily needs, and that there is a significant reduction in the share of protein and increase in the proportion of carbohydrates. Test results indicate that due to the impact of the deterioration of the economic situation decreased quality of daily meals. Reducing the quality is reflected in statistically significant decrease in the share of proteins.

Associations between energy density of meals and snacks and overall diet quality in British adults

Associations between energy density of meals and snacks and overall diet quality in British adults

Examining dietary energy density and eating occasions with the Remote Food Photography Method

Increased eating occasions (EO) and meal energy density (ED) may play a role in promoting obesity. The Remote Food Photography Method (RFPM) assesses diets of free‐living individuals in near real‐time. This study examined daily ED of food and energy‐containing beverages consumed and EO in a group of 54 adolescent and adult Caucasian and African American volunteers. Subjects used smartphones to capture images of items consumed at each EO over 2–3 days. Researchers estimated food intake and nutrient composition from images of food sent to a server. Subject height and weight were measured and their body mass index (BMI) calculated. ED with age, gender, race, BMI, and EO and EO with age, gender, race and BMI were examined using backwards stepwise regression and non‐significant variables were dropped (p&lt;0.05). In the final model, the total effects of the independent variables on the outcome variables were reported. Means ± SD were: age, 38.8 ± 14.5 years, BMI, 30.0 ± 5.7 kg/m2, ED, 1.7 ± 0.64 kcal/g, EO, 4.1 ± 1.6 times/day. Forty‐four individuals were female (82%) and 36 were Caucasian (67%). Subjects with a lower ED diet had a higher BMI (p = 0.01). With increased age, the number of EO were greater (p = 0.01). In this study, the near real‐time capabilities of RFPM suggest that weight status was associated with the ED of meals but not with the number of EO. Funded in part by NIH P30 DK072476, NIH R21 AG032231, and Hatch Act Funds # LAB 93846

Effects of an intervention in the workplace food environment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects of an intervention to reduce the energy density of meals in the workplace food environment.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted on a cosmetics manufacturer that employed 243 people, and was divided into three phases: diagnostic evaluation; development and testing of modifications to the energy density of the preparations; and evaluation of the results obtained. To evaluate the menus, the Meal Quality Index was used. This index consists of five components ranging from 0 to 20 points: “Adequacy of availability of vegetable and fruit”, “Carbohydrate availability”, “Total fat availability”, “Saturated fat availability” and “Menu variability”. The Kruskal‐Wallis test was used to evaluate differences in phases 1 and 3.FindingsThe classification, according to the scores for the Meal Quality Index, showed that there was an improvement in the menus, with a decrease in inadequate menus from 31 per cent to 5 per cent and in menus needing improvement from 44 per cent to 29 per cent.Originality/valueChanges that are relatively simple to implement and reproduce regarding meal production may contribute towards controlling the obesity epidemic, through discouraging the obesogenic environment, especially among captive healthy customers such as workers who use the food services in their workplaces.

Reducing the energy density of multiple meals decreases the energy intake of preschool-age children

Background:The energy density (ED) of an entrée affects children's energy intake at a meal consumed ad libitum. However, the effects in children of changing the ED of meals over multiple days are unknown. Objective:We aimed to test the effect of reducing the ED of multiple meals on the ad libitum energy intake of preschool-age children over 2 d. Design:In this crossover study, 3- to 5-y-old children (n = 10 boys, 16 girls) were served manipulated breakfasts, lunches, and afternoon snacks 2 d/wk for 2 wk. Foods and beverages served at these meals during 1 wk were lower in ED than were those served during the other week. ED reductions were achieved by decreasing fat and sugar and by increasing fruit and vegetables. Dinner and an evening snack were sent home with children, but these meals did not vary in ED. The same 2-d menu was served in both conditions. Results:Children consumed a consistent weight of foods and beverages over 2 d in both conditions, and therefore their energy consumption declined by 389 ± 72 kcal (14%) in the lower-ED condition, a significant decrease (P < 0.0001). Differences in energy intake were significant at breakfast on day 1, and they accumulated at manipulated meals over 2 d (P < 0.01). Intake of the nonmanipulated meals was similar between conditions. Conclusions:Children's energy intake is influenced by the ED of foods and beverages served over multiple days. These results strengthen the evidence that reducing the ED of the diet is an effective strategy for moderating children's energy intake.

Benefits of Snacking in Older Americans

Objective Because energy intakes decline with age, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of snacking on energy intakes and energy density in older adults. Design Twenty-four–hour dietary recall data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002 were used to compare the diets of snackers and nonsnackers. Subjects This study included 2,002 adults aged 65 years and older. Statistical analysis performed All statistical analyses accounted for the survey design and sample weights. Linear regression was used to estimate energy and energy-yielding nutrient intakes, eating occasions, energy intake per eating occasions, and energy density of eating occasions. Results The prevalence of snacking was high (84%) among this age group, and snackers had significantly higher daily intakes of energy, protein, carbohydrate, and total fat. Alcohol intakes were not significantly different. For those who snacked, it contributed almost a quarter of their energy and carbohydrate intakes and a fifth of their daily fat intakes. Snacking contributed 14% of their daily protein intakes. Snackers had, on average, two and a half snacking occasions per day, with each snacking occasion contributing 150 kcal. The average energy contribution of meals was not different between snackers and nonsnackers. The energy density of meals is significantly greater for snackers than for nonsnackers. Conclusions Results from this study demonstrate that snacking is an important dietary behavior among older adults. Whereas snacking may promote energy imbalance resulting in obesity among other age groups, our results suggest snacking may ensure older adults consume diets adequate in energy.

A relation between the energy of food and gastric emptying in men with duodenal ulcer.

Using information about the volume and energy density of meals, results from the literature on gastric emptying for healthy men can be marshalled into a consistent body. The same process applied to the published papers on men with duodenal ulcer shows that they have abnormally rapid gastric emptying, especially for meals of high-energy density. This provides confirmation of the view of Shay (1944) that the slowing of gastric emptying by duodenal receptors is less in men with duodenal ulcer than it is in healthy men.