Effects of a 6-week hypocaloric diet on changes in body composition, hunger, and subsequent weight regain in healthy young and older adults.
Recent studies have suggested a short-term impairment in the regulation of food intake in older adults, but further studies are needed to determine if a longer-term impairment exists and to identify underlying causes. Changes in body weight and composition were measured over a 6-week underfeeding study and a 6-month follow-up period in healthy young (n = 23) and older (OLD, n = 18) men and women. The young adults were either normal weight (YNW, n = 12) or overweight (YOW, n = 11). Energy intakes during underfeeding were 896 +/- 18 (SEM) kcal less than weight-maintenance energy requirements determined prior to underfeeding. In addition, changes in perceived hunger during underfeeding were monitored in a subgroup (n = 19). OLD and YOW subjects lost significantly more weight during underfeeding than did YNW subjects (p = .025 and .000, respectively), and they did not gain back significant weight in the 6-month follow-up. In addition, OLD subjects reported a significantly lower frequency of hunger during underfeeding (p = .05). There was no significant difference among groups in the relationship between weight lost and fat-free mass lost. Healthy OLD adults have an impaired ability to regulate food intake over at least 6 months following underfeeding compared with YNW adults, and a reduction in their perceived frequency of hunger may be a contributing factor.
Moriguti
J C
JC
Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
Das
S K
SK
Saltzman
E
E
Corrales
A
A
McCrory
M A
MA
Greenberg
A S
AS
Roberts
S B
SB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*