No sh!t!

[El Greco]

Unbelievable though it may seem, some people get money to make studies that state the bleeding obvious. Other people get their doctorates with such studies. Note that we're talking about 2004 here, not some stuff from the 60s.

Look at this one for example:

J Am Diet Assoc. 2004 Oct;104(10):1570-6. Related Articles, Links

Salad and satiety: energy density and portion size of a first-course salad affect energy intake at lunch.

Rolls BJ, Roe LS, Meengs JS.

Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. bjr4@psu.edu <bjr4@psu.edu>

OBJECTIVE: We tested the effect on meal intake of varying the energy density and portion size of a compulsory first-course salad. DESIGN: The study used a randomized crossover design. SUBJECTS/SETTING: Forty-two women from the State College, PA, university community ate lunch in the laboratory once per week for 7 weeks. INTERVENTION: Lunch comprised one of six first-course salads, or no salad in the control condition, followed by a main course of pasta. Subjects were required to consume the entire salad, but ate as much pasta as they wanted. The salads varied in energy density (0.33, 0.67, or 1.33 kcal/g) and portion size (150 or 300 g). The energy density of the salad was reduced by changing the amount and type of dressing and cheese. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Energy intake and ratings of hunger, satiety, and food characteristics were measured. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Outcomes were analyzed using a linear mixed model with repeated measures. RESULTS: Compared with having no first course, consuming the low-energy-dense salads reduced meal energy intake (by 7% for the small portion and 12% for the large), and consuming the high-energy-dense salads increased intake (by 8% for the small portion and 17% for the large). When two salads with the same number of calories were compared, meal intake was decreased when the large portion of the lower-energy-dense salad was consumed. CONCLUSIONS: Eating a low-energy-dense first course enhances satiety and reduces meal energy intake. Consuming a large portion of a low-energy-dense food at the start of a meal may be an effective strategy for weight management.

No tell! If you gorge on a salad then you will eat less after that! Isn't this a scientific breakthrough or what ?

And how about this:

Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2004 May;55(3):223-6. Related Articles, Links

Short-term hunger intensity changes following ingestion of a meal replacement bar for weight control.

Rothacker DQ, Watemberg S.

135 Broad Street, Keyport, NJ 07735, USA.

Meal replacement products for weight loss are popular and safe for most unsupervised consumers desiring to lose weight. Previously we reported that the thickness of meal replacement diet shakes had a direct and significant effect on hunger intensity during the first 2 h and that hunger intensity scores for liquid meal replacements were significantly below baseline for 3 h following consumption (Mattes & Rothacker, 2001) This study uses the same protocol to investigate meal replacement bars designed for overweight consumers. Subjects were prescreened to include only those that normally ate breakfast and liked chocolate. The bar used in this study contained 250 calories (about 30 more than most liquid diet shakes), 4 g dietary fiber, 14 g protein and 8 g fat. Subjects were instructed to consume the entire bar with a glass of water following an overnight fast when they would normally consume their first meal of the day and to assess their hunger on a 1 (not hungry at all) to 9 (as hungry as I have ever felt) scale before consumption, immediately after and hourly for 6 h (only on typical weekdays). Similar assessments were made for the perception of stomach fullness (1=empty, 9=extremely full), strength of the desire to eat (1=no desire, 9=extremely strong) and thirst (1=not at all thirsty, 9=extremely thirsty). One-hundred and eight subjects (23 male and 85 female) completed the study. No gender satiety differences were found. Hunger ratings and desire to eat remained significantly below baseline for 5 h following consumption. Stomach fullness scores were significantly above baseline for 5 h. Thirst scores were significantly below baseline for 3 h. In conclusion, although the meal replacement diet bars contained only 30 additional calories than liquids, they provided an additional 2 h of hunger suppression from baseline that may have an impact on overall weightloss success. These results support superior short-term hunger control with solid meal replacements.

Another amazing discovery! Solid foods control hunger better than liquid ones! Could it be because they stay longer in the gut ? I guess we'll have to conduct another study to find out.

And now, for the grand finale:

Nutr Rev. 2004 Jul;62(7 Pt 2):S98-104. Related Articles, Links

Energy intake/physical activity interactions in the homeostasis of body weight regulation.

Prentice A, Jebb S.

MRC International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 49-51 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP.

The agricultural and technological revolutions of the late 20th century have influenced both of the discretionary components of the energy balance equation, namely energy intake and physical activity. These changes act synergistically in the direction of encouraging weight gain and represent an unprecedented change in man's ecological niche. Obesity is the predictable biologic response to these external changes. This paper reviews the physiologic responses to modern diets and their effect on energy regulation. The energy density of foods is identified as a key element in influencing energy intake due to weak satiety signals that fail to compensate for very energy-dense foods. Evidence is also presented to show that interactions between energy-dense diets and low-levels of physical activity are key elements in encouraging weight gain due to an asymmetry between the hunger and satiety arms of human appetite control.

Now, who would imagine that lots of calories + sitting on your butt all day long would result in weight gain ? Huh ?