title: The impact of a mental work on food preferences, eating behavior traits and satiety efficiency.
abstract: Sedentary lifestyles, which are partly due to the type of labor being performed, have contributed to the increased prevalence of obesity. In general, labor in a modern context solicits mental work, which has been shown to promote overeating and altered satiety efficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of knowledge-based work on food preferences, eating behaviors traits and appetite sensations. The relationship between these effects and the morphological profile was also assessed. A cross-over experimental design was used in this study for which 35 healthy adults (22 men and 13 women (mean age: 24±3years)), were recruited. The participants were randomly assigned the one of the two following conditions: mental work (reading a document and writing a summary of 350 words with the use of a computer) or control (rest in seated position). Each condition lasted 45min, and was followed by a standardized ad libitum buffet-type meal. Measurements included anthropometric variables, ad libitum food intake, appetite sensations before and after each condition, and satiety quotient, a marker of satiety efficiency in response to the meal. Eating behavior traits were also evaluated using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Eating behaviors (restriction, disinhibition) were not associated with the energy intake in both conditions and in both genders. Women appeared to have a higher energy intake after the mental work condition (p<0.05), which was accompanied by an increased carbohydrate intake (p<0.05). Moreover, participants with the highest waist circumference had lower satiety efficiency (r=0.43, p<0.05) in response to mental work. These results suggest that increased energy intake in response to knowledge-based work is associated with food preference and an altered satiety efficiency in women and individuals with higher waist circumference.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7, Canada.
authors.forename: Miram
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salama
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Vicky
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Drapeau
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7, Canada. Electronic address: Emilie.lachance@uqtr.ca.
authors.forename: Émilie
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Pérusse-Lachance
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D012527:Satiation; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Eating behavior; Energy intake; Food preferences; Mental work; Satiety signals