EFFECT OF FLUOXETINE ON FOOD-INTAKE OF HUMANS LIVING IN A RESIDENTIALLABORATORY

Ten male and one female normal-weight research volunteers, participati ng in a 16-day residential study, received oral fluoxetine (40 mg) or placebo at 0930 daily. Food intake, performance and subjective ratings were measured throughout the day. The interaction between fluoxetine and carbohydrate consumption was examined by providing subjects diets that engendered varied levels of carbohydrate intake. When subjects re ceived placebo and had access to a regular diet, they consumed 3400 kc al day(-1) (53% carbohydrate, 34% fat, 13% protein); and fluoxetine de creased caloric intake to 2770 Kcal, without affecting macronutrient c ontribution. Caloric intake (2730 Kcal; 67% carbohydrate) under the hi gh-carbohydrate condition when subjects received fluoxetine was not di fferent from intake under the regular-diet fluoxetine condition. Subje cts reported that the high-fat (low-carbohydrate) diet was less palata ble and consumed 2975 Kcal under placebo conditions (35% carbohydrate) ; fluoxetine decreased caloric intake by an additional 400 Kcal withou t affecting macronutrient contribution. There was no evidence that car bohydrate intake modulated the effects of fluoxetine. Fluoxetine decre ased food intake by decreasing the number of eating occasions. Perform ance and subjective measures were not significantly altered by fluoxet ine compared to placebo. Thus, there was no evidence of a specific eff ect of fluoxetine on macronutrient consumption, nor were the effects o f fluoxetine altered by the macronutrient composition of the available diet. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited