Sensory properties of a nonabsorbable fat substitute did not affect regulation of energy intake

Many reduced-fat foods retain the sensory properties of their high-fat counterparts through the use of fat substitutes. This study examined whether regulation of energy intake is affected when the nonabsorbable fat substitute olestra is used to uncouple the sensory properties of fat from fat absorption and metabolism. Cream of broccoli soups were developed in three versions: fat-free, fat-free + olestra (33.3 g olestra), and high-fat (33.3 g fat) (923 900 and 2150 kT per serving, respectively). The olestra soup had the nutrient composition of the fat-free soup but the sensory properties of the high-fat soup. Subjects were grouped by sex, body weight, and dietary restraint (total n = 67). Subjects had either no preload (control) or a soup preload (465 g) followed by a self-selection lunch. Intake was measured at lunch, dinner, snack, and breakfast. At lunch, the response to the soup preloads was not affected by sex, dietary restraint, or body weight. Energy intake (soup + lunch) was significantly greater in the high-fat than in the control condition (P < 0.05), but energy intake in the fat-free and olestra-soup conditions was not significantly different from that in the control condition (3570, 3352, 3464, and 4457 W in control, fat-free, olestra, and high-fat soup conditions, respectively). Thus, subjects compensated completely for the energy in the fat-free and olestra soups but not for the energy in the high-fat soup. No differences were found in the response to the two fat-free conditions, one with the fatty taste and one without. In this study the sensory properties of fat alone, ie, apart from the physiologic effects of fat, did not affect energy regulation.