THE EFFECTS OF A RESTRICTED FEEDING REGIMEN ON CIGARETTE-SMOKING IN HUMANS

The effects of 3 days of restricted feeding (800 kcal/day) on cigarett e consumption, smoke exposure, and mood were studied in five male rese arch volunteers. A within-subjects design was used in which subjects w ere exposed in an inpatient research unit to either a nutritionally-ba lanced diet containing 800 kcal (RESTRICTED DIET) or 3,000 kcal (NORMA L DIET) per day for 3 consecutive days. At least 2 weeks separated die t conditions. Dependent measures included number of cigarettes smoked per day in each diet condition, biological exposure levels (carbon mon oxide and plasma cotinine levels), and mood. Number of cigarettes smok ed per day did not differ significantly across diet conditions. Biolog ical exposure to carbon monoxide and to cotinine, a metabolite of nico tine indicative of chronic nicotine exposure, also did not differ sign ificantly between conditions. Fatigue scores from the Profile of Mood States were significantly elevated in the RESTRICTED DIET condition. N ot surprisingly, subjects in this condition also reported feeling more hungry throughout the day than in the NORMAL DIET condition. From our study results, we conclude that a short period of "dieting," and the resulting hunger elicited from such a diet, do not increase cigarette consumption or smoke exposure in humans.