Energy density of the diet, food volume and energy intake by age and sex in a healthy population

Abstract

Objective: To assess the changes in energy intake (EI), food intake volume (FV) and energy density (ED) related to age and gender in a population in the Mediterranean area of Spain, and to determine the different role of FV and ED on the consecution of the adequate EI throughout lifespan. Subjects: One thousand and eighty-eight individuals (1 ± 65 y) randomly selected from the population census. Design: Cross-sectional study in which food intake was quanti®ed by 24 h dietary recall, three non-consecutive days. Height and weight measurements were taken in 885 individuals. Results: EI, FV and ED increased progressively (P`0.001) between 1 ± 2 y and 10 ± 12 y of age in both sexes. At 1 ± 2 y the EI is 5.8 AE 1.5 MJad, FV 1195 AE 275 gad and ED 4.8 AE 0.9 kJag. Between 1 ± 2 and 3 ± 4 y, coinciding with an EI that increased up to 7.2 AE 1.5 MJad, there was an increase in ED up to 6.1 AE 0.8 kJag (P`0.001), while the FV did not vary signi®cantly. At the start of puberty, between 7 ± 9 and 10 ± 12 y, when the EI increased to 9.7 AE 0.9 MJad (P`0.001) in males, the ED rose to 7.1 AE 0.9 kJag (P`0.001) while the FV did not vary signi®cantly. At this age, a signi®cant difference between the genders was observed in the EI (P 0.04), and in the ED (P 0.02) but not, as yet, in the FV. During adulthood, a signi®cant trend towards decrease (P`0.001 in both sexes) was observed in EI and ED. However, FV decreased signi®cantly only in females. Conclusions: The changes in energy intake that were observed with respect to age and gender were accommodated-for by changes in the ED of the diet rather than by variations in food volume intake. Autoregulation of the ED of the diet, suf®cient for energy intake requirement changes, appears to be an essential human capacity for ef®cient nutrition. Sponsorship: This study was funded, in part, by a grant for B Vizmanos from DANONE, Spain.

Low-cost diets: more energy, fewer nutrients

“…The highest energy intakes were now associated with the lowest consumption of key nutrients. Higher energy intakes have also been associated with higher energy density of the diet in both epidemiological and clinical research (Poppitt and Prentice, 1996;Marti-Henneberg et al, 1999). In this study, the lower-cost diets were the most energy dense and contained the least key nutrients.…”

Energy density and 6-year anthropometric changes in a middle-aged adult cohort

“…Some of them found a positive relationship between ED and weight (10,14,15,19) , whereas some others found no significant association (13,20) or only in men (16) . Among the few longitudinal analysis available in free-living subjects, two were performed in women only (21,22) and one in both sexes (23) .…”

“…Some studies have reported positive associations between ED and EI (4,10,11) . In addition, there is a strong correlation between the ED of foods and their fat content (4,12) , which may also encourage weight gain.However, the results from cross-sectional epidemiological studies that have examined the relationships between dietary ED and body-weight status are not consistent (10,13 -20) .Some of them found a positive relationship between ED and weight (10,14,15,19) , whereas some others found no significant association (13,20) or only in men (16) . Among the few longitudinal analysis available in free-living subjects, two were performed in women only (21,22) and one in both sexes (23) .…”

Diet quality and lifestyle associated with free selected low-energy density diets in a representative Spanish population

“…However, the study of dietary energy density in free-living persons is a new effort, and data on this issue are scarce. Observational studies generally found a direct association between energy intake and energy density (Marti-Henneberg et al, 1999;Cox and Mela, 2000;Stubbs et al, 2000;Stookey, 2001;Darmon et al, 2004). All these studies mainly focused on the association between energy density with energy and macronutrient intake and in some cases, additionally, with body mass index (BMI) (Marti-Henneberg et al, 1999;Cox and Mela, 2000;Stubbs et al, 2000;Cuco et al, 2001;Stookey, 2001;Darmon et al, 2004;Ledikwe et al, 2006b).…”

“…Observational studies generally found a direct association between energy intake and energy density (Marti-Henneberg et al, 1999;Cox and Mela, 2000;Stubbs et al, 2000;Stookey, 2001;Darmon et al, 2004). All these studies mainly focused on the association between energy density with energy and macronutrient intake and in some cases, additionally, with body mass index (BMI) (Marti-Henneberg et al, 1999;Cox and Mela, 2000;Stubbs et al, 2000;Cuco et al, 2001;Stookey, 2001;Darmon et al, 2004;Ledikwe et al, 2006b). Recently published data from two large-scale epidemiological studies indicate that high-energy density diets were a risk factor for higher BMI (Kant and Graubard, 2005;Howarth et al, 2006;Ledikwe et al, 2006a;Mendoza et al, 2007).…”