Meal Patterns and Food Choices of Female Rats Fed a Cafeteria-Style Diet Are Altered by Gastric Bypass Surgery

After Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB), rats tend to reduce consumption of high-sugar and/or high-fat foods over time. Here, we sought to investigate the behavioral mechanisms underlying these intake outcomes. Adult female rats were provided a cafeteria diet comprised of five palatable foodstuffs varying in sugar and fat content and intake was monitored continuously. Rats were then assigned to either RYGB, or one of two control (CTL) groups: sham surgery or a nonsurgical control group receiving the same prophylactic iron treatments as RYGB rats. Post-sur-gically, all rats consumed a large first meal of the cafeteria diet. After the first meal, RYGB rats reduced intake primarily by decreasing the meal sizes relative to CTL rats, ate meals more slowly, and displayed altered nycthemeral timing of intake yielding more daytime meals and fewer nighttime meals. Collectively, these meal patterns indicate that despite being motivated to consume a cafeteria diet after RYGB, rats rapidly learn to modify eating behaviors to consume foods more slowly across the entire day. RYGB rats also altered food preferences, but more slowly than the changes in meal patterns, and ate proportionally more energy from complex carbohydrates and protein and proportionally less fat. Overall, the pattern of results suggests that after RYGB rats quickly learn to adjust their size, eating rate, and distribution of meals without altering meal number and to shift their macronutrient intake away from fat; these changes appear to be more related to postingestive events than to a fundamental decline in the palatability of food choices

Early Postoperative Exposure to High-Fat Diet Does Not Increase Long-Term Weight Loss or Fat Avoidance After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in Rats

BackgroundBariatric surgery alters food preferences in rats and reportedly decreases desire to consume high-fat high-sugar food in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate whether early post-operative exposure to high-fat food could increase body weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) by triggering fat avoidance.MethodsMale Wistar rats underwent either RYGB (n = 15) or sham-operations (n = 16). Preoperatively a standardized 4-choice cafeteria diet [dietary options: low-fat/low-sugar (LFLS), low-fat/high-sugar (LFHS), high-fat/low-sugar (HFLS), high-fat/high-sugar (HFHS)] was offered. First, each option was available for 4 days, thereafter rats were offered the 4 options simultaneously for 3 days preoperatively. Post-surgery, 8 rats in the RYGB- and 8 in the sham-group were exposed to a high-fat content diet (Oatmeal + 30% lard, OM+L) for 10 days, while 7 RYGB rats and 8 sham-rats received OM alone. From the 11th postoperative day, the 4-choice cafeteria diet was reintroduced for 55-days. The intake of all available food items, macronutrients and body weight changes were monitored over 8 weeks. Main outcomes were long-term body-weight and daily change in relative caloric intake during the postoperative cafeteria period compared to the preoperative cafeteria.ResultsDuring the first 12 days of postoperative cafeteria access, RYGB-rats exposed to OM+L had a higher mean caloric intake per day than RYGB rats exposed to OM alone (Δ10 kCal, P$_{adj}$ = 0.004), but this difference between the RYGB groups disappeared thereafter. Consequently, in the last 33 days of the postoperative cafeteria diet, the mean body weight of the RYGB+OM+L group was higher compared to RYGB+OM (Δ51 g, P$_{adj}$ < 0.001). RYGB rats, independently from the nutritional intervention, presented a progressive decrease in daily consumption of calories from fat and increased their daily energy intake mainly from non-sugar carbohydrates. No such differences were detected in sham-operated controls exposed to low- or high fat postoperative interventions.ConclusionA progressive decrease in daily fat intake over time was observed after RYGB, independently from the nutritional intervention. This finding confirms that macronutrient preferences undergo progressive changes over time after RYGB and supports the role of ingestive adaptation and learning. Early postoperative exposure to high-fat food failed to accentuate fat avoidance and did not lead to superior weight loss in the long-term

Rats Fed Diets with Different Energy Contribution from Fat Do Not Differ in Adiposity

Objective: To determine whether rats reaching the same body mass, having been fed either a low-fat (LFD) or a high-fat diet (HFD), differ in white adipose tissue (WAT) deposition. Methods: In experiment 1, 22 Sprague-Dawley rats of the same age were divided into 11 rats with body mass below the batch median and fed a HFD, and 11 above the median and fed a LFD. In experiment 2, 20 Sprague-Dawley rats of the same age and starting body mass were randomised to either a HFD or LFD. When all groups reached similar final body mass, WAT was quantified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), dissection, and plasma leptin. Results: In experiment 1, both groups reached similar final body mass at the same age; in experiment 2 the HFD group reached similar final body mass earlier than the LFD group. There were no significant differences in WAT as assessed by MRI or leptin between the HFD and LFD groups in both experiments. Dissection revealed a trend for higher retroperitoneal and epididymal adiposity in the HFD groups in both experiments. Conclusions: We conclude that at similar body mass, adiposity is independent of the macronutrient composition of the feeding regimen used to achieve it

Microstructural Changes in Human Ingestive Behavior After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass During Liquid Meals

BACKGROUND. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) decreases energy intake and is, therefore, an effective treatment of obesity. The behavioral bases of the decreased calorie intake remain to be elucidated. We applied the methodology of microstructural analysis of meal intake to establish the behavioral features of ingestion in an effort to discern the various controls of feeding as a function of RYGB. METHODS. The ingestive microstructure of a standardized liquid meal in a cohort of 11 RYGB patients, in 10 patients with obesity, and in 10 healthy-weight adults was prospectively assessed from baseline to 1 year with a custom-designed drinkometer. Statistics were performed on log-transformed ratios of change from baseline so that each participant served as their own control, and proportional increases and decreases were numerically symmetrical. Data-driven (3 seconds) and additional burst pause criteria (1 and 5 seconds) were used. RESULTS. At baseline, the mean meal size (909.2 versus 557.6 kCal), burst size (28.8 versus 17.6 mL), and meal duration (433 versus 381 seconds) differed between RYGB patients and healthy-weight controls, whereas suck volume (5.2 versus 4.6 mL) and number of bursts (19.7 versus 20.1) were comparable. At 1 year, the ingestive differences between the RYGB and healthy-weight groups disappeared due to significantly decreased burst size (P = 0.008) and meal duration (P = 0.034) after RYGB. The first-minute intake also decreased after RYGB (P = 0.022). CONCLUSION. RYGB induced dynamic changes in ingestive behavior over the first postoperative year. While the eating pattern of controls remained stable, RYGB patients reduced their meal size by decreasing burst size and meal duration, suggesting that increased postingestive sensibility may mediate postbariatric ingestive behavior. TRIAL REGISTRATION. NCT03747445; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03747445. FUNDING. This work was supported by the University of Zurich, the Swiss National Fund (32003B_182309), and the Olga Mayenfisch Foundation. Bálint File was supported by the Hungarian Brain Research Program Grant (grant no. 2017-1.2.1-NKP-2017-00002)

A Comparison of Total Food Intake at a Personalised Buffet in People with Obesity, before and 24 Months after Roux-en-Y-Gastric Bypass Surgery

Long-term reductions in the quantity of food consumed, and a shift in intake away from energy dense foods have both been implicated in the potent bariatric effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. We hypothesised that relative to pre-operative assessment, a stereotypical shift to lower intake would be observed at a personalised ad libitum buffet meal 24 months after RYGB, driven in part by decreased selection of high energy density items. At pre-operative baseline, participants (n = 14) rated their preference for 72 individual food items, each of these mapping to one of six categories encompassing high and low-fat choices in combination with sugar, complex carbohydrate or and protein. An 18-item buffet meal was created for each participant based on expressed preferences. Overall energy intake was reduced on average by 60% at the 24-month buffet meal. Reductions in intake were seen across all six food categories. Decreases in the overall intake of all individual macronutrient groups were marked and were generally proportional to reductions in total caloric intake. Patterns of preference and intake, both at baseline and at follow-up appear more idiosyncratic than has been previously suggested by verbal reporting. The data emphasise the consistency with which reductions in ad libitum food intake occur as a sequel of RYGB, this being maintained in the setting of a self-selected ad libitum buffet meal. Exploratory analysis of the data also supports prior reports of a possible relative increase in the proportional intake of protein after RYGB

Assessing daily energy intake in adult women:validity of a food-recognition mobile application compared to doubly labelled water

Accurate dietary assessment is crucial for nutrition and health research. Traditional methods, such as food records, food frequency questionnaires, and 24-hour dietary recalls (24HR), have limitations, such as the need for trained interviewers, time-consuming procedures, and inaccuracies in estimations. Novel technologies, such as image-based dietary assessment apps, have been developed to overcome these limitations. SNAQ is a novel image-based food-recognition app which, based on computer vision, assesses food type and volume, and provides nutritional information about dietary intake. This cross-sectional observational study aimed to investigate the validity of SNAQ as a dietary assessment tool for measuring energy and macronutrient intake in adult women with normal body weight (n = 30), compared to doubly labeled water (DLW), a reference method for total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Energy intake was also estimated using a one-day 24HR for direct comparison. Bland–Altman plots, paired difference tests, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to assess agreement and relationships between the methods. SNAQ showed a slightly higher agreement (bias = −329.6 kcal/day) with DLW for total daily energy intake (TDEI) compared to 24HR (bias = −543.0 kcal/day). While both SNAQ and 24HR tended to underestimate TDEI, only 24HR significantly differed from DLW in this regard (p &lt; 0.001). There was no significant relationship between estimated TDEI and TDEE using SNAQ (R2 = 27%, p = 0.50) or 24HR (R2 = 34%, p = 0.20) and there were no significant differences in energy and macronutrient intake estimates between SNAQ and 24HR (Δ = 213.4 kcal/day). In conclusion, these results indicate that SNAQ provides a closer representation of energy intake in adult women with normal body weight than 24HR when compared to DLW, but no relationship was found between the energy estimates of DLW and of the two dietary assessment tools. Further research is needed to determine the clinical relevance and support the implementation of SNAQ in research and clinical settings. Clinical trial registration: This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with the unique identifier NCT04600596 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04600596).</p

Assessing daily energy intake in adult women:validity of a food-recognition mobile application compared to doubly labelled water

Accurate dietary assessment is crucial for nutrition and health research. Traditional methods, such as food records, food frequency questionnaires, and 24-hour dietary recalls (24HR), have limitations, such as the need for trained interviewers, time-consuming procedures, and inaccuracies in estimations. Novel technologies, such as image-based dietary assessment apps, have been developed to overcome these limitations. SNAQ is a novel image-based food-recognition app which, based on computer vision, assesses food type and volume, and provides nutritional information about dietary intake. This cross-sectional observational study aimed to investigate the validity of SNAQ as a dietary assessment tool for measuring energy and macronutrient intake in adult women with normal body weight (n = 30), compared to doubly labeled water (DLW), a reference method for total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Energy intake was also estimated using a one-day 24HR for direct comparison. Bland–Altman plots, paired difference tests, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to assess agreement and relationships between the methods. SNAQ showed a slightly higher agreement (bias = −329.6 kcal/day) with DLW for total daily energy intake (TDEI) compared to 24HR (bias = −543.0 kcal/day). While both SNAQ and 24HR tended to underestimate TDEI, only 24HR significantly differed from DLW in this regard (p &lt; 0.001). There was no significant relationship between estimated TDEI and TDEE using SNAQ (R2 = 27%, p = 0.50) or 24HR (R2 = 34%, p = 0.20) and there were no significant differences in energy and macronutrient intake estimates between SNAQ and 24HR (Δ = 213.4 kcal/day). In conclusion, these results indicate that SNAQ provides a closer representation of energy intake in adult women with normal body weight than 24HR when compared to DLW, but no relationship was found between the energy estimates of DLW and of the two dietary assessment tools. Further research is needed to determine the clinical relevance and support the implementation of SNAQ in research and clinical settings. Clinical trial registration: This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with the unique identifier NCT04600596 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04600596).</p