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Short-term dietary compensation in free-living adults.
F McKiernan1, J H Hollis, R D Mattes
1Purdue University, W Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Physiology & Behavior
|February 12, 2008
Summary
Adults regulate daily energy intake more closely than intake at individual eating occasions, similar to patterns seen in children. This suggests effective short-term dietary compensation over a 24-hour period.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Compensatory eating behaviors are observed in children, reducing energy intake variance over the day.
- These behaviors are less understood in adults, particularly regarding short-term dietary regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate short-term dietary compensation patterns in free-living adults.
- To compare energy intake variability across eating occasions and over a 24-hour period in adults.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of 50 weight-stable adults (normal weight, overweight, obese).
- Seven consecutive 24-hour diet recalls obtained using the multi-pass technique.
- Calculation of the coefficient of variation for energy intake per eating occasion and per 24-hour period.
Main Results:
- Mean coefficient of variation for energy intake was 110.5% across 7 eating occasions versus 28.9% for the entire 24-hour day.
- Energy intake at successive eating events showed uniformly negative correlations.
- Snacks exhibited significantly greater energy intake variation than meals (P<0.0001).
Conclusions:
- Adults demonstrate effective regulation of energy intake over a 24-hour period, similar to children.
- Individual eating occasions show higher variability than the overall daily intake.
- Further research on compensatory responses in at-risk populations is recommended.
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