Effects of variety on food intake of underweight, normal-weight and overweight women.

The food intake of 27 underweight, normal-weight and overweight women was monitored during laboratory luncheon meals of solid food units (SFUs), bite-sized spirals of bread with different sandwich fillings. Simultaneous, but not sequential, presentation of three SFU flavors increased intake compared to presentation of a single flavor in normal-weight and overweight women. Neither variety manipulation enhanced intake in the underweight women, who are more than the other subjects in all conditions. The fact that the foods were so similar probably reduced the effectiveness of the variety manipulations. Overweight and normal-weight subjects had different patterns of intake, but only when eating a single flavor of SFU. Only overweight subjects ate less when three flavors of SFUs were hidden from view in the apparatus used to monitor intake. This procedure prevented subjects from selecting particular flavors of SFUs. Differences in cognitive restraint probably do not explain the differences in the eating behavior of normal-weight and overweight subjects in the present study. Lack of dietary restraint or a high level of hunger may account for the different eating behavior of the underweight subjects compared to the other subjects.