A comparison of short-term appetite and energy intakes in normal weight and obese boys following glucose and whey-protein drinks.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of glucose and whey-protein preloads on satiety and food intake (FI) as affected by time to the next meal and body composition in normal weight (NW) and obese (OB) boys.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional clinical intervention study of the effect of caloric preloads on FI control in boys.
SUBJECTS: Seventeen NW (body mass index (BMI)=18.9+/-0.5 kg/m(2); age=12.2+/-0.3 years) and 17 OB boys (BMI=25.8+/-0.9 kg/m(2); age=11.4+/-0.3 years) (Experiment 1) and 12 NW boys (BMI=18.6+/-0.6 kg/m(2); age=12.1+/-0.3 years) (Experiment 2). MEASUREMENTS: On three separate mornings and in random order each of the boys consumed a noncaloric sweetened preload, glucose (837 kJ) or whey protein (837 kJ) (Experiment 1) or noncaloric preload, glucose (1.0 g/kg) or whey protein (1.0 g/kg) (Experiment 2) made up to 250 ml with water 2 h after the consumption of a fixed breakfast. Food intake from a pizza meal was measured 30 min (Experiment 1) or 60 min (Experiment 2) later.
RESULTS: In Experiment 1, glucose suppressed FI (mean kJ+/-s.e.m.) in NW (3126+/-304) and OB boys (3116+/-286) compared with the control (NW, 4015+/-337 and OB, 3791+/-255). Whey protein suppressed FI in NW, but not in OB boys. Body weight, fat-mass and fat-free mass were positively associated with FI after all treatments in NW, but was not related to FI in OB boys. In Experiment 2, FI was suppressed by whey protein (2683+/-367) more than by glucose (3107+/-294) or the control (3585+/-361).
CONCLUSION: NW and OB boys respond differently to whey-protein preloads, with time to next meal a factor in the response to both glucose and protein preloads.