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The role of energy density
Author(s) -
Drewnowski Adam
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/s11745-003-1039-3
Subject(s) - food science , overweight , calorie , energy density , obesity , weight loss , environmental health , medicine , nutrient density , biology , nutrient , endocrinology , engineering , engineering physics , ecology
Dietary energy density (ED) appears to have a major influence on the regulation of food intake and body weight. If people consume a fixed weight of food each day, then high‐ED diets should be associated with high energy intakes and with overweight. In contrast, low‐ED diets should result in lower daily energy intakes and therefore weight loss. For this approach to work, low‐ED foods must be as palatable as high‐ED foods and, calorie for calorie, have a greater satiating power. Each of those assumptions is debatable. Dietary ED depends chiefly on the water content of foods. As a rule, high‐ED foods are more palatable but less satiating, whereas low‐ED foods are more satiating but less palatable. Consumer preferences for high‐ED foods can be explained in terms of good taste, low cost, and convenience. Low‐ED foods, such as fresh produce, provide less energy per unit cost than do high‐ED foods, which often contain added sugars and fats. Poverty and obesity may well be linked through the habitual consumption of a low‐cost, high‐ED diet.