Suppression of food intake with intragastric loading: relation to natural feeding cycle

Rats were infused through chronically implanted intragastric tubes with 100 percent of their normal total daily food intake. The infusion was given either continuously over 24 hours or divided into discrete meals programed to simulate the rats' natural eating pattern. The same diet was also available for consumption by mouth. In neither case did the animals completely stop eating. During slow infusions excessive consumption ranged from 30 to 50 percent. During simulated meal infusion of the same total quantity of diet, they compensated far better, overeating by only 2 to 18 percent. Periodic filling of the stomach between scheduled meals was no more effective than a continuous slow infusion. Therefore, factors related to the natural feeding cycle make a significant contribution to the effectiveness of food in maintaining satiety and controlling food intake.