Elsevier

Physiology & Behavior

Volume 26, Issue 2, February 1981, Pages 215-221
Physiology & Behavior

Variety in a meal enhances food intake in man

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Abstract

We find that in man satiety can be partly specific to foods eaten [12]. The possibility that this specificity of satiety leads to overeating if a wide variety of foods is readily available is tested here. The intakes of subjects offered a variety of foods in succession during a meal were compared to intakes when the same food was offered throughout. Subjects (n=36) ate a third more when offered sandwiches with four different fillings than when just one filling was offered (p<0.001). In another study subjects (n=24) ate significantly more when three flavors of yogurt (hazelnut, blackcurrant, orange) which were distinctive in taste, texture and color were offered than when offered just one of the flavors (p<0.01), even if the flavor was the favorite (p<0.01). However, when subjects (n=24) were offered three flavors of yogurt (strawberry, raspberry, cherry) which differed only in taste there was no enhancement of intake when the variety was offered. Having a variety of foods presented in succession during a meal enhances intake, and the more different the foods are the greater the enhancement is likely to be.

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Supported by the Medical Research Council of Great Britain. We thank associated Milk Products Limited for supplying the yogurt used in Experiment 3. We are grateful to the nursing staff and student nurses at the John Radcliffe Hospital for their cooperation in the experiments.

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