Perception of calories and regulation of intake in restrained and unrestrained subjects

Abstract

Evidence of obese-normal differences in ability to perceive calories and regulate intake has been conflictual. The present study proposed that restrait rather than obesity is the relevant dimension and reexamined these phenomena. Normal weight male subjects were divided on the basis of restraint (dieting), food-deprived, and assigned to one of four preload conditions (high or low calorie, and receiving true or false information about caloric value). Subjects were then allowed to eat sandwich quarters ad libitum in order to assess the effect of the preload on consumption. Restrained subjects who perceived the preload as high calorie ate more sandwiches than those who thought the preload to be low calorie, while unrestrained subjects did the reverse. Restrained subjects who perceived the preload as high calorie also underestimated their sandwich consumption. The place of these findings in eating research and their implications were discussed.