American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 66, 1332-1339, Copyright © 1997 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Effect of high-fat and low-fat diets on voluntary energy intake and substrate oxidation: studies in identical twins consuming diets matched for energy density, fiber, and palatability

E Saltzman, GE Dallal and SB Roberts
Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.

There remains controversy over the effects of dietary fat content on voluntary energy intake. Additionally, the question of whether there is a genetic susceptibility to overeating high-fat diets has not been resolved. To address these issues, we designed two diets: a low-fat diet providing approximately 20% of energy as fat and a high-fat diet with approximately 40% of energy as fat. The diets were matched for energy density, fiber, and palatability. In a two-phase, 18-d intervention study, voluntary energy intakes and macronutrient oxidation rates during the fasting and fed states were determined in seven pairs of identical male twins. In contrast with results of previous intervention studies, in which low-fat and high-fat diets were not matched for energy density and other associated variables, we observed no significant difference in voluntary energy intake between the low-fat and high-fat phases, and mean daily intakes were similar (10.3 and 10.7 MJ/d, respectively). Postprandial rates of fat oxidation tended to reflect fat intakes in the two dietary phases, thus helping to explain the lack of a difference in mean energy intakes. There was also a significant twin-pair similarity in differences in energy intakes between dietary phases (P = 0.013). These results suggest that dietary fat content does not have a major influence on voluntary energy intake when dietary variables usually associated with fat are controlled for and that there may be a familial influence on the effects of dietary fat content on energy intake.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A S Rinomhota, D U S Bulugahapitiya, S J French, C M Caddy, R W Griffiths, and R J M Ross Women gain weight and fat mass despite lipectomy at abdominoplasty and breast reduction Eur. J. Endocrinol., March 1, 2008; 158(3): 349 - 352. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Burton-Freeman Sex and Cognitive Dietary Restraint Influence Cholecystokinin Release and Satiety in Response to Preloads Varying in Fatty Acid Composition and Content J. Nutr., June 1, 2005; 135(6): 1407 - 1414. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Yao, M. A McCrory, G. Ma, K. L Tucker, S. Gao, P. Fuss, and S. B Roberts Relative influence of diet and physical activity on body composition in urban Chinese adults Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2003; 77(6): 1409 - 1416. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. J Rolls, E. L Morris, and L. S Roe Portion size of food affects energy intake in normal-weight and overweight men and women Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2002; 76(6): 1207 - 1213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Roubenoff, J. Walsmith, N. Lundgren, L. Snydman, G. J Dolnikowski, and S. Roberts Low physical activity reduces total energy expenditure in women with rheumatoid arthritis: implications for dietary intake recommendations Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2002; 76(4): 774 - 779. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. B. Roberts, M. A. McCrory, and E. Saltzman The Influence of Dietary Composition on Energy Intake and Body Weight J. Am. Coll. Nutr., April 1, 2002; 21(2): 140S - 145. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. A Bell and B. J Rolls Energy density of foods affects energy intake across multiple levels of fat content in lean and obese women Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2001; 73(6): 1010 - 1018. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J Hoffman, A. L Sawaya, I. Verreschi, K. L Tucker, and S. B Roberts Why are nutritionally stunted children at increased risk of obesity? Studies of metabolic rate and fat oxidation in shantytown children from Sao Paulo, Brazil Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2000; 72(3): 702 - 707. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J. Hoffman, S. B. Roberts, I. Verreschi, P. A. Martins, Celia de Nascimento, K. L. Tucker, and A. L. Sawaya Regulation of Energy Intake May Be Impaired in Nutritionally Stunted Children from the Shantytowns of Sao Paulo, Brazil J. Nutr., September 1, 2000; 130(9): 2265 - 2270. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				B. J. Rolls The Role of Energy Density in the Overconsumption of Fat J. Nutr., February 1, 2000; 130(2): 268 - 268. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. A. McCrory, P. J. Fuss, E. Saltzman, and S. B. Roberts Dietary Determinants of Energy Intake and Weight Regulation in Healthy Adults J. Nutr., February 1, 2000; 130(2): 276 - 276. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				B. J Rolls, E. A Bell, V. H Castellanos, M. Chow, C. L Pelkman, and M. L Thorwart Energy density but not fat content of foods affected energy intake in lean and obese women Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 1999; 69(5): 863 - 871. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]