QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stubbs, R. J. Articles by Whybrow, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stubbs, R. J. Articles by Whybrow, S.

---

Supplement

Carbohydrates, Appetite and Feeding Behavior in Humans¹

Aberdeen Centre for Energy Regulation and Obesity, Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, Scotland

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j.stubbs{at}rri.sari.ac.uk

The view of carbohydrates in relation to obesity has changed over the past few decades from being conducive to overconsumption and weight gain to being protective. This article reviews the mechanisms by which carbohydrate is purported to protect against weight gain. Although carbohydrate is metabolized and stored in the body less efficiently than fat, when de novo lipogenesis is invoked on very high carbohydrate diets, the beneficial effect on energy balance is likely to be minimal when typical high fat Western diets are consumed. However, it has been suggested that high carbohydrate foods may influence energy balance by reducing food intake through greater satiety effects, reducing energy density and displacing fat from the diet—the fat-sugar seesaw effect. To date, there seem to be few differences between sugars and starches on satiety and energy intake, but few studies have examined this. Some reduced-fat, and, therefore, higher carbohydrate, foods are highly energy dense. High carbohydrate foods do not necessarily have a low energy density. Evidence from recent studies suggests that adding carbohydrate, and especially sugar, to the diet neither displaces fat from the diet nor protects against elevated energy intake. Although it is easier to overeat on high fat than low fat foods, simply replacing fat with carbohydrate in the diet may not be as protective against overconsumption as the energy density or fat-sugar seesaw arguments suggest.

KEY WORDS: • carbohydrate • satiety • energy balance

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. P. Hays, R. D. Starling, X. Liu, D. H. Sullivan, T. A. Trappe, J. D. Fluckey, and W. J. Evans Effects of an Ad Libitum Low-Fat, High-Carbohydrate Diet on Body Weight, Body Composition, and Fat Distribution in Older Men and Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial Arch Intern Med, January 26, 2004; 164(2): 210 - 217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R J. Stubbs, D. A Hughes, A. M Johnstone, G. W Horgan, N. King, and J. E Blundell A decrease in physical activity affects appetite, energy, and nutrient balance in lean men feeding ad libitum Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2004; 79(1): 62 - 69. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Jimenez-Cruz, M. Bacardi-Gascon, W. H. Turnbull, P. Rosales-Garay, and I. Severino-Lugo A Flexible, Low-Glycemic Index Mexican-Style Diet in Overweight and Obese Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Improves Metabolic Parameters During a 6-Week Treatment Period Diabetes Care, July 1, 2003; 26(7): 1967 - 1970. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]