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Water Consumption Reduces Energy Intake at a Breakfast Meal in Obese Older Adults

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2008.04.013Get rights and content

Abstract

Water consumed before a meal has been found to reduce energy intake among nonobese older adults. However, it is unknown whether this effect is evident among overweight and obese older adults, a population who would benefit from strategies to improve energy intake regulation. Our purpose was to determine whether premeal water consumption reduces meal energy intake in overweight and obese older adults. Twenty-four overweight and obese adults (body mass index=34.3±1.2), mean age 61.3±1.1 years, were given an ad libitum standardized breakfast meal on two randomly assigned occasions. Thirty minutes before the meal, subjects were given either a 500-mL water preload or no preload. Energy intake at each meal was covertly measured. Meal energy intake was significantly less in the water preload condition as compared with the no-preload condition (500±32 vs 574±38, respectively; P=0.004), representing an approximate 13% reduction in meal energy intake. The percentage reduction in meal energy intake following the water preload was not related to sex, age, body mass index, or habitual daily water consumption (all P>0.05). Given the high prevalence of overweight and obesity among older adults, future studies should determine whether premeal water consumption is an effective long-term weight control strategy for older adults.

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Subjects

Twenty-four overweight and obese (body mass index=34.3±1.2) adults (seven men, 17 women) with a mean age of 61.3±1.1 years (range=55 to 75 years) were recruited from a local university community for this investigation. Subjects were weight-stable (±2 kg for more than 1 year, determined by self-report), nonsmokers, without major chronic disease (ie, diabetes, coronary heart disease), and not taking medications known to influence food intake or body weight. Participants had no food allergies or

Results and Discussion

Energy intake consumed during the two test meals is shown in the Figure. As with meal energy intake, the gram weight of food consumed at the test meals was also less in the water preload condition as compared with the no-preload condition (611±31 vs 663±36 g, respectively; P=0.023). Dietary energy density did not differ between the two test meals (water preload: 0.83±0.03; no water preload: 0.87±0.04, P=0.13). Participants consumed significantly less energy at the test meal after the water

Conclusions

Premeal water consumption reduced meal energy intake in overweight and obese older adults, suggesting that this may be an effective weight-control strategy for this segment of the population, particularly because habitual water consumption seems to be substantially less than recommended levels. The latter issues seem to be important areas for future investigation considering recent data indicating that adults 60 years of age and older have a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity (71%)

B. M. Davy is an assistant professor, E. A. Dennis and A. L. Dengo are graduate students, K. L. Wilson is an undergraduate research assistant, and K. P. Davy is an associate professor, all with the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg.

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    B. M. Davy is an assistant professor, E. A. Dennis and A. L. Dengo are graduate students, K. L. Wilson is an undergraduate research assistant, and K. P. Davy is an associate professor, all with the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg.

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