Fat substitution and food intake: Effect of replacing fat with sucrose polyester at lunch or evening meals

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of replacement of fat by sucrose polyester (SPE) within a lunch or evening meal on subsequent energy intake and appetite control. The 2 x 2 design was intended to examine the effect on appetite of reducing the total energy and fat content of a meal (lunch or dinner) by replacement of natural fat with 55 g SPE. The effects were monitored by measuring motivation to eat or actual food consumption during the remainder of the test day (day 1) and throughout the following day (day 2). The 2 x 2 design yielded four conditions which were a control meal (5192 kJ, 73.2 g fat) and a fat-replaced meal (3305 kJ, 54.6 g SPE, 24 g fat) at midday (lunch) or in the early evening (dinner). No significant differences were seen in ad lib. energy intake after the test meals on day 1 or day 2. Certain differences were detected in fat intake on day 2 but these did not suggest nutrient compensation in response to the fat replacement. Subjective assessment of motivation to eat did not indicate that the fat-reduced meal had a weaker satiating efficiency than the control meal. A reduction in fat content, using fat replacement, did not reduce the satiating efficiency of a test meal given at lunch or dinner. No energy or macronutrient compensation occurred following the reduction in energy or fat intake during the rest of the test day or during the whole of the next day.