Environmental Influences on Intake and Obesity

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议研究的目的是制定营养合理的饮食策略，减少能量摄入，以促进减肥和预防肥胖。先前的研究表明，一种有前途的方法是系统地改变食物的特性，如能量密度（每克卡路里）、份量和种类，以调节能量摄入。将根据这些食物特性的变化制定饮食策略，鼓励在用餐时增加摄入低能量密度的食物，如蔬菜。增加低能量密度食物的消费已被证明可以提高饱腹感和减少能量摄入，并已被成功地用于促进减肥。采用随机设计的四项研究将在男性和女性中进行，他们将在不同的日子里在受控的实验室环境中吃完所有的食物。主要实验结果将是由肉类、谷物和蔬菜同时供应的一系列测试餐的能量摄入和食物消费模式，其中低能量密度成分（蔬菜）是系统变化的。具体目的是确定以下几点：1)增加蔬菜分量的效果，无论是通过增加额外的蔬菜还是通过在一餐中用蔬菜代替其他食物；2)不同蔬菜能量密度的影响；3)将蔬菜与其他食物搭配就餐的效果与单独用餐相比；4)蔬菜品种增加的影响。这些膳食操作在控制饥饿感和维持饱腹感同时促进减少能量摄入方面的有效性将被评估。在所有研究中，个体特征（如体重状况、饮食限制和食物偏好）在决定对膳食操作的反应性方面的作用将被调查。随着大量能量密集食物的广泛存在，以及大多数人可能容易受到这些食物暗示的影响，迫切需要找到有效的策略来帮助消费者控制他们的能量摄入。拟议的研究将系统地改变能量密度，份量大小和蔬菜种类，以确定如何利用食物的这些特性来增加低能量密度食物的摄入量并减少一餐中的能量摄入。更好地了解这些影响以及它们在个体之间的差异将有助于制定具体的饮食相关策略和公共卫生信息，以帮助在体重管理期间调节能量摄入和改善饮食质量。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of the proposed studies is to develop nutritionally sound dietary strategies that reduce energy intake in order to promote weight loss and prevent obesity. Previous research indicates that a promising approach is to systematically vary properties of foods such as energy density (calories per gram), portion size, and variety in order to moderate energy intake. Dietary strategies based on variations in these food properties will be developed that encourage increased intake of foods low in energy density, such as vegetables, during a meal. Increased consumption of low-energy-dense foods has been shown to enhance satiety and reduce energy intake, and has been used successfully to promote weight loss. Four studies using a randomized design will be conducted in men and women, who on a number of separate days will eat all of their meals in a controlled laboratory setting. The primary experimental outcomes will be energy intake and food consumption patterns at a series of test meals consisting of meat, grain, and vegetables served simultaneously, in which the low-energy-dense component (vegetables) is varied systematically. The specific aims are to determine the following: 1) the effect of increasing the portion size of vegetables either by adding extra vegetables or by substituting vegetables for other foods at a meal; 2) the effect of varying the energy density of the vegetables; 3) the effect of combining vegetables with other foods at a meal compared to serving them separately; and 4) the impact of increasing the variety of vegetables. The effectiveness of these meal manipulations in controlling hunger and maintaining satiety while promoting reduced energy intake will be assessed. In all studies, the role of individual characteristics (such as weight status, dietary restraint, and food preferences) in determining responsiveness to meal manipulations will be investigated. With the widespread availability of a variety of large portions of energy-dense foods, along with the likelihood that much of the population is susceptible to such food cues, there is an urgent need to find effective strategies that will help consumers moderate their energy intake. The proposed studies will systematically vary the energy density, portion size, and variety of vegetables to determine how these properties of foods can be used to increase intake of low-energy-dense foods and reduce energy intake in a meal. A better understanding of these effects and how they differ among individuals will facilitate the development of specific meal-related strategies and public health messages to help moderate energy intake and improve diet quality during weight management.