title: Dietary self-selection vs. complete diet: body weight gain and meal pattern in rats.
abstract: Food intake and body weight gain of male adult Wistar rats were examined in two groups of animals. One group (n = 14) was allowed to select its diet from separate sources of protein (casein, 3.1 kcal/g), fat (lard and sunflower oil, 7.9 kcal/g) and carbohydrate (CHO, starch and sucrose, 3.3 kcal/g). Another group (n = 10) received a nutritionally complete diet (3.3 kcal/g). After 2 weeks of adaptation to the diets, body weights and meal patterns were recorded for at least 4 days. The total caloric intake was nearly identical for the two groups of rats. Rats given dietary choice gained less weight over 4 days than rats fed chow and showed reduced feed efficiency. During the 24-h period, self-selecting rats consumed 20.8% of calories as proteins, 21% as fats and 58.2% as CHO. Self-selecting rats ate significantly less calories during the day than did rats given chow. The chow diet consisting of 17.3% calories as protein, 7.6% as fat and 75.1% as CHO. When comparing the self-selecting group nutrient intakes to those of chow-fed group it was observed that 24-h protein calorie intakes were identical in both groups. Fat intake was significantly higher and CHO reduced as compared to chow-fed rats. During the day, CHO intake was higher in self-selecting rats, and fat intake was not significantly reduced. During the night, protein and fat intakes were significantly higher in self-selecting rats, while CHO intake was significantly decreased, particularly in the last periods of the night.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Nutrition, Bât B. Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larue-Achagiotis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Louis-Sylvestre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005518:Food Preferences; D008297:Male; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins