ESPE Abstracts (2016) 86 RFC13.3

ESPE2016 Rapid Free Communications Management of Obesity (8 abstracts)

Effects of Eating Rate on Satiety Hormones, Meal Enjoyment and Memory for Recent Eating: An fMRI Study

Katherine Hawton a, , Julian Hamilton-Shield a, , Paula Toner b , Danielle Ferriday b , Peter Rogers b & Elanor Hinton b


aBristol Royal Hospital for Children, Bristol, UK; bUniversity of Bristol, Bristol, UK


Background: Controlling eating rate may be a mechanism for reducing calorie consumption. We need to understand the physiological basis of this to design effective paediatric interventions.

Objective and hypotheses: This study investigated the effect of eating rate during lunch on post-meal neural response (fMRI), satiety hormone levels, appetite ratings (VAS), meal enjoyment, memory for recent eating and snack consumption.

Method: Twenty young people (mean age 23.0 years, normal BMI) were randomly assigned to consume 600 kcal at a ‘normal’ or ‘slow’ rate (6 vs 24 mins). fMRI was performed at baseline and 2 hours post-meal, including a memory task about the lunch. Appetite ratings and satiety hormone levels (PYY and ghrelin) were collected at baseline and change recorded half-hourly for 3 hours. Participants were given an ad-libitum snack 3 hours post-meal.

Results: Relative to the slow group, immediately post-meal, the normal group reported greater fullness (effect size=−0.2), enjoyed the meal more (effect size=−0.5) and found it more satisfying (effect size=−0.6). However, 2 hours post-meal the slow group reported greater fullness (effect size=0.7), scored higher on portion size memory task (M=79%, vs M=68%, effect size=0.4), showed greater activation in the medial temporal lobe, and ate fewer snacks (M=341.8 kcal, vs M=445.4 kcal; effect size=0.5). Ghrelin secretion was lower in the slow group than the normal group at 30 and 120 minutes post-meal (effect size=−0.8). Ghrelin levels at 180 minutes were correlated with ad-libitum intake (r=0.590, P=0.013). At 30 minutes, PYY levels were correlated with enjoyment of the meal (r=0.451, P=0.046) and positively associated with memory task activation in the precuneus, striatum and insula.

Conclusion: Eating slowly improved memory for the meal, increased satiety and led to 25% less snacks eaten, but reduced ghrelin levels and enjoyment of the meal. Research is planned to confirm that these findings persist in the paediatric population.

Article tools

My recent searches

No recent searches.