Acute exposure to a high-fat diet alters meal patterns and body composition.
Weight gain and adiposity are often attributed to the overconsumption of unbalanced, high-fat diets however, the pattern of consumption can also contribute to associated body weight and compositional changes. The present study explored the rapid alterations in meal patterns of normal-weight rats given continuous access to high-fat diet and examined body weight and composition changes compared to chow fed controls. Ten Long-Evans rats were implanted with subcutaneous microchips for meal pattern analysis. Animals were body weight matched and separated into two groups: high-fat or chow fed. Each group was maintained on their assigned diet for nine days and monitored for 22 h each day for meal pattern behavior. Body weight was evaluated every other day, and body composition measures were taken prior and following diet exposure. High-fat fed animals gained more weight and adipose tissue than chow fed controls and displayed a reduced meal frequency and increased meal size. Furthermore, meal size was significantly correlated with the gain of adipose tissue. Together, these results suggest that consumption of a high-fat diet can rapidly alter meal patterns, which in turn contribute to the development of adiposity.
Melhorn
Susan J
SJ
Department of Psychiatry, Program in Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA. smelhorn@u.washington.edu
Krause
Eric G
EG
Scott
Karen A
KA
Mooney
Marie R
MR
Johnson
Jeffrey D
JD
Woods
Stephen C
SC
Sakai
Randall R
RR
D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D046208:Microchip Analytical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D013997:Time Factors
D004041:Dietary Fats