Food preferences and weight change during low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets

Abstract

Understanding associations between food preferences and weight loss during various effective diets could inform efforts to personalize dietary recommendations and provide insight into weight loss mechanisms. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a clinical trial in which participants were randomized to either a ‘choice’ arm, in which they were allowed to select between a low-fat diet (n=44) or low-carbohydrate diet (n=61), or to a ‘no choice’ arm, in which they were randomly assigned to a low-fat diet (n=49) or low-carbohydrate diet (n=53). All participants were provided 48 weeks of lifestyle counseling. Food preferences were measured at baseline and every 12 weeks thereafter with the Geiselman Food Preference Questionnaire. Participants were 73% male and 51% African American, with a mean age of 55. Baseline food preferences, including congruency of food preferences with diet, were not associated with weight outcomes. In the low-fat diet group, no associations were found between changes in food preferences and weight over time. In the low-carbohydrate diet group, increased preference for low-carbohydrate diet congruent foods from baseline to 12 weeks was associated with weight loss from 12 to 24 weeks. Additionally, weight loss from baseline to 12 weeks was associated with increased preference for low-carbohydrate diet congruent foods from 12 to 24 weeks. Results suggest that basing selection of low-carbohydrate diet or low-fat diet on food preferences is unlikely to influence weight loss. Congruency of food preferences and weight loss may influence each other early during a low-carbohydrate diet but not low-fat diet, possibly due to different features of these diets.

Changes in food reward during weight management interventions – a systematic review

“…Two main higher‐order constructs were outlined: liking and wanting. ‘Liking’ was the most reported (16 out of 17 studies) and covered two different notions ‘overall palatability’ and ‘liking for a specific food at this moment’ . For the latter notion, ‘liking’ measures were labelled as such in six studies but also included different terms such as ‘tastiness’ ‘food preferences’ , ‘pleasantness’ and ‘palatability’ .…”

“…‘Liking’ was the most reported (16 out of 17 studies) and covered two different notions ‘overall palatability’ and ‘liking for a specific food at this moment’ . For the latter notion, ‘liking’ measures were labelled as such in six studies but also included different terms such as ‘tastiness’ ‘food preferences’ , ‘pleasantness’ and ‘palatability’ . ‘Specific food’ referred to different food labelling such as low/high‐fat , low/high fat and sweet/savoury , healthy/unhealthy , low/high‐carbohydrate , energy dense and low/high‐calorie food .…”

“…For the latter notion, ‘liking’ measures were labelled as such in six studies but also included different terms such as ‘tastiness’ ‘food preferences’ , ‘pleasantness’ and ‘palatability’ . ‘Specific food’ referred to different food labelling such as low/high‐fat , low/high fat and sweet/savoury , healthy/unhealthy , low/high‐carbohydrate , energy dense and low/high‐calorie food . These different labels were grouped in this review as low‐energy food or high‐energy food.…”

Combined use of cocoa dietary fibre and steviol glycosides in low‐calorie muffins production

“…It is also connected with consumers' nutritional awareness (World Health Organization 2003;McVay et al, 2016). It is also connected with consumers' nutritional awareness (World Health Organization 2003;McVay et al, 2016).…”

“…Rising demand for low caloric food with reduced amount of sugar and fat is the consequence of obesity epidemic, diabetes and other civilisation diseases as well. It is also connected with consumers' nutritional awareness (World Health Organization 2003;McVay et al, 2016). Nevertheless, fat and sugar play a crucial role in developing textural and sensory quality of food products especially sweet bakery products (Biguzzi et al, 2014).…”