Sucrose consumption early in life fails to modify the appetite of adult rats for sweet foods.

Male rats consumed a diet containing 0, 12, or 48 percent sucrose on days 16 to 30 of life. Thereafter, they had simultaneous access to all three diets until day 63. No relationship was detected between sucrose consumption early in life and subsequent preference for sucrose. The onset of puberty was associated with a decreased appetite for sucrose among animals of both sexes.