Placebo Breakfast Consumption, Appetite and Food Intake

Nottingham Trent University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Obesity

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: Water-only control; Dietary Supplement: Typical whole-food breakfast; Dietary Supplement: Placebo breakfast

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04735783

TS_Placebo_2019

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a very low-energy, viscous placebo breakfast meal on subjective appetite sensations during the morning, and food intake at lunch, compared to a typical whole-food breakfast meal and a water-only control. Participants will not be told that the placebo breakfast contains nearly no energy until the end of the study. The breakfasts will be provided in a randomised order, with a period of at least four days separating the trials. Blood samples will be taken before and after the breakfast is eaten to see how appetite-regulating proteins and blood sugars respond during the morning. Appetite questionnaires will also be completed throughout the morning, and a pasta-based lunch meal will be provided so that voluntary food intake can be measured.

Full description

Obesity is a risk factor for several chronic diseases, including type-2 diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. There is clear evidence demonstrating that weight gain occurs progressively over the lifespan, highlighting that preventative action should be taken by young, lean individuals, who may yet develop overweight or obesity later in life. A positive energy imbalance, in which energy intake exceeds energy expenditure for a sustained duration, is known to be the underlying systematic cause of obesity. Therefore, reducing daily energy intake is a seemingly simple solution to the this problem. However, compensatory alterations in appetite regulation which stimulate an increase in energy intake often impede the long-term success of such interventions.

Extending the overnight fasting period, thereby restricting the time available for food intake, has emerged as an effective dietary strategy for reducing daily energy intake and may assist with weight management. Laboratory studies have shown that skipping breakfast typically results in increased appetite during the morning, and an increase in energy intake at lunch. Therefore, the long-term success of skipping breakfast may be reduced by elevated appetite sensations. A recent study which aimed to assess the effects of a very-low energy, placebo breakfast on resistance exercise performance noted that appetite was suppressed after consuming the placebo, despite its lack of energy content. Whether this suppression of appetite following placebo breakfast consumption results in a reduced energy intake at lunch, is currently unknown. Therefore, the investigators are interested to examine the subjective and hormonal appetite responses to placebo breakfast consumption, compared with these responses to an overt breakfast consumption trial an overt breakfast skipping trial, and whether these changes result in any differences in voluntary energy intake at lunch.

The present study is a randomised, controlled, crossover study in which fourteen healthy, habitual breakfast-consuming (self-reported) males will consume a very low-energy, viscous placebo breakfast, a typically consumed, whole-food breakfast, and a water-only control. At least four days will separate trials.

Participants will firstly complete a pre-screening session in which anthropometric data will be collected. This will be used to determine the energy content of the typical whole-food breakfast.

Enrollment: 14 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 40 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Non-smoker.
• Habitually consuming breakfast at least 3 days per week.
• Have maintained a stable weight for 6 months (self-reported).
• No known history of gastric, digestive, cardiovascular or renal disease.

Exclusion criteria

• Food allergies, dislike or intolerance of study foods or drinks.
• Not currently on a weight management program or have irregular eating patterns (i.e. extended fasting periods >8h other than overnight - self reported).
• Use of medication that may affect hormone concentrations.
• Excessive alcohol consumption (>4 units/day).
• Intensive training schedule (>10 hours/week).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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14 participants in 3 patient groups

Very low-energy, viscous placebo breakfast

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will consumed a viscous breakfast meal from a standard bowl with a standard spoon. The volume of the meal will be 5 mL/kg body mass, consisting of 15% (0.75 mL/kg body mass) low-energy flavoured squash, with the remainder made up of tap water. To thicken the solution and increase the perception of energy intake, 0.1 g/kg xanthan gum (a soluble fibre often used as a low-energy thickening agent) will be added and the mixture will be blended thoroughly. An additional 3 mL/kg tap water will be consumed as a drink alongside the meal in this trial.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Placebo breakfast

Typical, whole-food breakfast

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will consume a standardised meal consisting of puffed rice cereal, semi-skimmed milk, white bread, seedless strawberry jam, and apple juice. This meal will provide 20% of estimated energy requirements, determined by multiplying estimated resting metabolic rate by a physical activity level of 1.6. A measured volume of tap water will be consumed alongside this meal, in order to match total water content of the typical whole-food breakfast to the very low-energy, viscous placebo breakfast.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Typical whole-food breakfast

Water-only control

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will consume 8 mL/kg body mass of plain tap water to match the total water content of the typical whole-food breakfast and the very low-energy, viscous placebo breakfast.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Water-only control