1. Effects of palatability on food, caloric, and macronutrient intake in a three-course meal.
Tim Beckner,
Michelle Bertling,
Jai-Sheena Garnett,
Allison Thomas,
Kim Trimble

2. Overeating: A Growing Problem

3. Some Factors that Promote Overeating
Wide variety of easily accessible, highly palatable, energy-dense foods
Sensory Specific Satiety
-Rolls 1980s (humans)
-LeMagnen 1950s (rats)
I’m full.
BUT!!

4. Sensory Specific Satiety Research at Wofford College
What is the palatability ranking?
Sensory Specific Satiety Research at Wofford College
- Stinnett et. al 2005
- Ross et. al 2004
- Henry et. al 2003 RC RC FL
Meal
Calories per gram
Froot Loops (FL)
3.8
Funyuns (OR)
5.0
Rat Chow (RC)
3.3 RC
FL RC OR

5. Purposes
(1) To determine relative palatabilities of Rat Chow, Onion Rings and Froot Loops®
(2) To determine if sequences of courses in a three-course meal affects
food intake
caloric intake

6. Hypotheses Expected palatability ranking: RC<OR<FL
When offered 3 foods simultaneously,
Rats will eat very little Rat Chow,
Moderate amounts of Onion Rings, and
Large quantities of Froot Loops.
(2) Offering a sequence of courses in which palatability increases with each course will result in the highest consumption of food and caloric intake.
Expected palatability ranking: RC<OR<FL

7. Methods: Cafeteria Experiment
21 Male Sprague-Dawley Rats
12 hour light/12 dark cycle, RC & H2O ad libitum except
Experimental Day (18 hour food deprivation)
Foods presented simultaneously
Froot Loops
Onion Rings
Rat Chow
3 rats per week
Counterbalanced over 7 weeks

8. Experimental Timeline
Latency is the time from presentation of the food to first bite.
End Experiment: Remove and weigh all foods
Foods removed, weighed, and returned to cages
Begin Experiment: Insert 3 foods
8:00 AM
8:10
8:20
8:30
8:40
8:50
9:00
9:10
9:20
9:30
18 hour food deprivation
Two indices of palatability:
1) Latency to eat each food (minutes)
2) Intake of each food (grams)
Foods removed, weighed, and returned to cages
Statistical Tests: RM ANOVA and S-N-K Multiple Comparisons p<0.05

9. *p=0.003
*p<0.001
n.s. p=0.054

10. *p<0.001
n.s. p=0.391

11. Results of Cafeteria Experiment
Palatability Hierarchy
RC = OR < FL
Next Experiment:
3 Course Meal
Food Intake
Effects of Palatability on
Caloric Intake

12. Methods: Sequence Experiment
1st Course
2nd Course
3rd Course
Sequence 1 RC OR FL
Sequence 2
Sequence 3
Sequence 4
Sequence 5
Sequence 6
Counterbalanced over 7 weeks

13. Experimental Timeline
Remove and weigh 2nd Course, Present 3rd Course
Measure food intake
1st Course
2nd Course
3rd Course
Present 1st Course
8:00
8:50
9:10
9:40
10:10
Remove and weigh 1st Course
Present 2nd Course
Remove and weigh 3rd Course
18 hr food
Deprivation

14. Palatability Heirarchy: RC=OR<FL
n.s.

19. 3.3 Cal/gram
5.0 Cal/gram
3.8 Cal/gram

21. Hypotheses
(1) When offered 3 foods, Froot Loops will be the most palatable, Rat Chow the least, and Onion Rings will have an intermediate palatability.
(2) Offering a sequence of meals in which palatability increases with each meal will result in the greatest food and caloric intake.
Supported
Rejected

22. But Eureka!
Course sequence does have an effect on the overall nutritional value of a multicourse meal.

23. Rats and Humans: Differences
Humans don’t regulate food intake as effectively.
Rats have very tight regulation of food intake.

24. Rats and Humans: Similarities
Both show Sensory Specific Satiety
Both tend to gorge on highly palatable foods.

25. Recall the Growing Problem of Overweight and Obesity
Observation: Easy access to highly palatable, energy dense foods promotes overeating.
Advice based on our research and understanding of SSS: Eating the most nutritious courses first allows one to become satiated such that one consumes smaller amounts of less nutritious foods.

26. Eating dessert first really does spoil your dinner.

27. Extra slides beyond this point

28. Who Cares?! Overweight and obese people. Portion control
Nutritional Value

29. Further Application: NASA
Increase in space exploration
Astronauts spend more time in space
Change in cephalic fluid
Astronauts get sick and don’t eat enough
Nutritional value

30. Changing course sequence in a meal can affect macronutrient intake
BIG PICTURE!
Changing course sequence in a meal can affect macronutrient intake

31. But make sure you eat it LAST!!
Have your cake and eat it TOO!!
But make sure you eat it LAST!!

32. which food is most palatable?
Based on intake,
which food is most palatable?
Least palatable?
Summary:
Shorter latencies to eat OR and FL suggest
that these foods are more palatable than RC.

33. In a three-course meal,
does the sequence of food presentation affect total food or nutrient intake or macronutrient intake?
Summary:
When presented simultaneously, rats show a strong preference for Froot Loops.
RC and OR are of similar palatability.

34. Results
So total intake in grams wasn’t affected but what about the caloric intake?

36. The Essential Points Overeating is a serious problem
Why do we overeat?
Need for study of feeding behaviors
An animal model of overeating
SSS and overeating
Do rats overeat?
Does palatibility contribute to overeating?
What effect does palatability have on food, caloric, and macronutrient intake?
Must establish relative palatabilities for 3 foods?
Does the sequence of courses affect intake?
How is this information useful or beneficial?
What recommendations can be made based on our results?

37. What did we learn?
3 food choices offered Froot loops=most palatable, rat chow=the least, and funyuns=intermediate
If offered 3 foods simultaneously, rats will eat to satiety on the most palatable food, eating very little of the less palatable foods.
After being food deprived, the order in which 3 meals were offered did not effect the total food intake.
Changing the order in which you eat food has no effect on how much you eat.
Meal sequence does have an effect on the nutritional value of what you eat in a meal

38. Return to the Growing Problem of Overweight and Obesity
Observation: Easy access to highly palatable, energy dense foods promotes overeating.
Advise based on our research and understanding of SSS: Eat more nutritious foods first, then can eat less dessert and feel just as satisfied. =
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39. Experimental Timeline
Did the sequence in which the rats received the courses affect the total food intake?
9:40
Remove Course 2, Present Course 3, Measure Course 2 total intake
Measure food intake
9:30
10:00
Measure food intake
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Present Course 1
8:00
Measure food intake
8:50
9:10
Remove Course 1, Present Course 2, Measure Course 1 total intake
10:10
Remove Course 3, Measure food intake
18 hr food
Deprivation