Deceleration in cumulative food intake curves, changes in body temperature and diet-induced thermogenesis.

In order to assess the relationship between the shape of the cumulative food intake curve and a reflection of internal processes, eating behaviour, postprandial thermogenesis, and skin and core temperature of normal weight restrained and unrestrained eating women and of obese restrained eating women were recorded during four-course solid food lunches, eaten in a laboratory setting (respiration chamber) at a constant ambient temperature of 22 degrees C. The skin temperature (upper arm, upper leg, liver proximity) and core temperature were measured constantly from one hour prior to until two hours after the lunch. Normal weight unrestrained eaters displayed decelerated cumulative food intake curves and an increase in the liver temperature data of 0.8-1.5 degrees C, from the beginning of the meal onwards, remaining high until 60-90 minutes after the meal was consumed. The postprandial thermogenesis of normal weight unrestrained eaters was on average 8.1 +/- 1.3%, calculated over two and a half hours from the beginning of the meal. Overweight and normal weight restrained eaters displayed linear cumulative food intake curves, almost no changes in skin and core temperatures and a postprandial thermogenesis of 4.2 +/- 0.3% and 4.8 +/- 0.7%, calculated over two and a half hours from the beginning of the meal onwards. In conclusion, deceleration in cumulative food intake curves is positively correlated with a temperature increase in the skin in the proximity of the liver, and with postprandial thermogenesis.