Food intake

We propose that deletion of pro-melanin-concentrating hormone (pMCH) would increase energy expenditure and further improve glucose tolerance in mice lacking stearoyl-coA desaturase-1 (SCD1). To test our hypothesis, we bred and metabolically challenged Pmch-/-; Scd1-/- double-knockout mice, with comparison to Pmch-/- mice; Scd1-/- mice and C57Bl/6J controls. Deletion of both Pmch and Scd1 increased both food intake and energy expenditure relative to control mice. Pmch-/-; Scd1-/- double-knockout mice had improved glucose tolerance relative to control mice. The majority of the metabolic effects were contributed by inactivation of the Scd1 gene. We conclude that the increased food intake and increased energy expenditure of Scd1-/- mice are independent of the neuropeptide melanin-concentrating hormone.

The product of meal number x meal size, over time, is food intake. Because estrogens modulate feeding activity via their action on the hypothalamus, and because there is a diurnal rhythm in the expression of cytoplasmic estrogen receptors and in estrogen binding activity, the present study examined the effects of ovariectomy and later hormone therapy on acute changes in body weight, and on the meal number-to-meal size relationship as reflected by food intake in the dark/light feeding patterns, in adult female rats in the intact state and after ovariectomy. Twelve female Fischer rats were randomized into ovariectomy and sham operation groups. A rat eater meter measured the feeding indexes for 15 days before and 25 days after ovariectomy, and later for 35 days with hormone therapy. We report: (a) mean body weight gain was linear before and up to ovariectomy, while exponential after ovariectomy; (b) increase in daily food consumption is mainly via an increase in food intake during the ...

Based on community surveys of the elderly of their nutritional habits in big cities throughout Indonesia and in urban and rural areas, the following observations are reported: (i) the elderly tend to reduce their food intake by themselves, in calories, carbohydrate, fat, protein content (15−30% less); (ii) they even reduce their traditional fatty food by themselves in spite of their already low fat intake daily (30−40% less); (iii) they very seldom eat snacks between meals (6.7−25.5%) of the respondents only; (iv) they tend to eat (very seldom − never) new ‘trendy foods’ (78−95%) such as hamburger, pizza, fried chicken etc., which are available in big cities; (v) the elderly usually eat just enough before satiety (84.3%); (vi) the majority of the elderly usually eat rice or other local staple foods, with mostly vegetables every day (50−80%), especially the traditional témpé (soybean cake) and tahu (soybean curd) and green vegetables (80%); fruits are consumed less than vegetables (40%); (vii) milk consumption still needs to be improved; (viii) fish consumption, the best healthy animal protein source, still needs to be promoted to the whole country, especially to the elderly on Java island; and (ix) an urban−rural difference was noted, the urban elderly having a higher intake of calories, fat and protein. Gender differences were practically not observed, except the higher calorie intake in men. The following findings support the aforementioned observations. The elderly have a lower mean body mass index (BMI); only 15.9% are overweight and only 4.5% are obese, although it is admitted that there are many elderly people who are underweight and malnourished. They also have lower mean cholesterol, triglyceride and haemoglobin values, but a higher prevalence of glucose intolerance, hypertension, coronary heart disease etc. is reported in many studies. In conclusion, the elderly in general have good eating habits, and they adjust their food intake to the reduced daily physical activities they perform. However, the consumption of eggs and fish (as low-cost protein sources) needs to be improved. Hence overeating and obesity are not a problem for the Indonesian elderly people, although it is admitted that undernutrition will be a problem unless properly anticipated. They usually prefer to eat the already healthy traditional food, especially the still popular vegetable source of protein and anti-oxidants. They eat the traditional food, témpé and tahu, making them a stronghold against diet ‘westernization’, and they should be used as a good example for the younger generation. Reduced calorie intake among the elderly is also observed in Japan, but not yet in most European elderly populations.

Human obesity is associated with greater-than-average energy intake, although relatively few studies have tested the heritability of food intake. The present study examined the genetic architecture of measured caloric intake during laboratory test meals in 36 monozygotic and 18 dizygotic twin pairs. A series of analyses tested the hypotheses that (1) there would be a genetic influence on total caloric intake,(2) there would be genes influencing total caloric intake above and beyond those influencing body composition,(3) ...

Background Adequate nutrition is a public health challenge due to the increase in the incidence of diet-related diseases. The aim of this study was to examine food and nutrient intakes in the light of the current dietary guidelines of Poland and Norway. This is a suitable model for studying the diet quality in countries with different degrees of government intervention in the food market, which may affect food diversity available for citizens. Methods The food diversity on the market was assessed using national food balance sheets. To show the actual food and nutrient intake within countries, data from 24-h recalls from the national surveys, NORKOST 3 from Norwegians and WOBASZ II from Poles, were used. In order to evaluate whether dietary patterns comply with nutritional and dietary recommendations, the Norwegian and Polish recommendations for nutrition and the national food based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) were analyzed. Results Significant differences between the national supplie...

Background and objectives: Recent studies have emphasized that a size-contrast illusion leads unknowingly consumers to serve and eat more food when using larger dinner plates and serving spoons. Such a size-contrast illusion would not, however, be operating when one serves from a common serving bowl. Exploring if and how serving bowls might bias intake offers the potential to uncover other mechanisms through which environmental cues influence behavior.
Methods: In this between-subjects experiment, eighty six participants served themselves pasta either from a large serving bowl (about 6.9 liter capacity) or from a medium-sized serving bowl (about 3.8 liter capacity). After eating their fill, they completed a questionnaire, and their remaining pasta was weighted.
Results: When given a larger serving bowl, diners served 78% more pasta (425.9 versus 283.9, p< 0.001), even though they did not rate the food as any tastier, or otherwise notable (all ps>0.24). In contrast to studies involving large-sized plates and spoons, people serving from larger bowls appeared to realize they served more and rated themselves as marginally more full afterwards.
Discussion: These findings again highlight the role that external cues play in food consumption and show the importance of considering the size of serving bowls containing multiple portions in relation to nutrition education on weight loss and maintenance. Instead of a size-contrast illusion driving the results, a different mechanism, such as consumption norms may operate on such occasions.

The current set of studies describe the in vivo metabolic actions of the novel amylin-mimetic peptide davalintide (AC2307) in rodents and compares these effects with those of the native peptide. The anti-obesity effects of davalintide were examined after intraperitoneal injection or sustained peripheral infusion through subcutaneously implanted osmotic pumps. The effect of davalintide on food intake after lesioning of the area postrema (AP) and neuronal activation as measured by c-Fos, were also investigated. Similar to amylin, davalintide bound with high affinity to amylin, calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide receptors. Acutely, davalintide displayed greater suppression of dark-cycle feeding and an extended duration of action compared with amylin (23 versus 6 h). Davalintide had no effect on locomotor activity or kaolin consumption at doses that decreased food intake. Davalintide-induced weight loss through infusion was dose dependent, durable up to 8 weeks, fat-specific...