WHAT EFFECT DO DIET CHANGES HAVE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF OBESITY?
Diet has a strong influence on energy balance and can be considered as the most important modifying factor.
Pleasure And Palatability In The Meals
Palatability of meals has a great influence on behaviour, as it increases the frequency and the feeling of hunger between meals. The fat content and the sweet taste of a certain meal are related to its palatability, and the consumption of fats and sweet leads to increased energy consumption.
Diet Patterns
Diet patterns vary greatly from culture to culture and their effect on body weight control is controversial. In developed societies, frequent snacking has been correlated with increased energy consumption. Skipping meals (for instance, breakfast) has been associated to greater intake during the rest of the day and with weight increase. Several studies with obese patients on a weight loss program have found that prognosis was worse in patients who had less but more abundant meals.
Diet Factors
The energy balance is directly affected by the amount of food, its composition, and nutritional patterns. Thus, a fat diet has greater caloric density and the signals it sends to control appetite are not sufficiently intense or early to cause satiety. In contrast, fiber produces a decrease in food density, allowing the signals that control appetite to act before consuming large amounts of calories. Protein intake has a great influence on early satiety control whereas the intake of carbohydrates has an intermediate activity as satiety enhancers.
Energy Storage
The diet's composition also influences the storage of excess calories. Thus, macronutrients with a high capacity to be stored (such as fats) positively and easily influence weight gain when there is excessive supply of nutrients in the diet.