INFORMATION ABOUT THE FAT-CONTENT OF PRELOADS INFLUENCES ENERGY-INTAKE IN HEALTHY WOMEN

Objective This study tested the hypothesis that the perceived fat cont ent of a preload (a required first course) influences subsequent food and energy intake. Subjects and design Forty-eight healthy, nondieting women (24 restrained, 24 unrestrained) were given a fixed amount (350 g) of three different yogurts (low-fat, low calorie; low-fat, high-ca lorie; high-fat, high-calorie), or no yogurt, followed by lunch (30 mi nutes after the yogurt preload was served) and dinner (4.5 hours later ). Each subject was tested in all four conditions in a counterbalanced design. Half of the subjects received accurate information, in the fo rm of a label, about the fat content of the yogurts, which did not nec essarily correspond to energy content; the other half received no info rmation. Analyses Energy intake, the percentage of macronutrients in t he meals, and subjective sensations of hunger and satiety were analyze d. Results No effect of restraint was noted in the intake analyses. A significant information-by-preload interaction (P<.05) was found. Subj ects who had information consumed more energy at lunch after eating a preload labeled low fat than after eating a preload with similar energ y content but labeled high fat. The opposite response was seen in wome n who did not receive information. When energy consumed at dinner was included in the analyses, overall intake was still significantly great er in the women who received information and ate a low-fat preload. No differences were found in the percentage of macronutrients selected o r in subjective sensations after consumption of any of the preloads. C onclusions Messages about the fat content; of a food can influence ene rgy intake in healthy women.