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The Reduced Calorie Food and Mood Study

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Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore

Status

Completed

Conditions

Satiety and Food Intake
Markedly Reduced Food Intake

Treatments

Behavioral: Product Labelling and Sensory modifications

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04138862
2017/01013

Details and patient eligibility

About

Health- and nutrient-related labelling is often used to draw consumer's attention to the potential benefits of consuming one product over another. However, research suggests that products believed to be 'healthier' and/or lower calorie are often experienced as less satiating, and may actually prompt people to consume more or these foods, or others.

The current research aimed to whether consuming a reduced-calorie product labelled "Healthier Choice" affects compensatory eating behaviour (relative to an unlabelled product), and the extent to which this depends on the product's sensory characteristics.

A two-session randomised study was used to test the satiety value of a reduced-calorie beverage - characterised as changes in rated appetite and later food intake (kcal) relative to an original-calorie version - consumed in one of four contexts varying in label and sensory cues. The beverage-contexts were assessed in a non-crossover manner.

Full description

Reformulation strategies to reduce the energy density of commonly consumed food and beverage products are needed to support weight management, but one concern is that awareness of consuming 'healthier' foods can promote compensatory eating behaviours. An alternative solution is not to label calorie-reductions so consumers are unaware that they are consuming fewer calories in reformulated products, which has been described as a 'stealth health' approach.

This study investigated whether consuming a reduced-calorie product labelled with Singapore's 'Healthier Choice Symbol' impacts its satiating power relative to an unlabelled control, and the extent to which this can be further modified by changes to the product's sensory characteristics.

Participants were randomised to consume an original (211 kcal per portion; kcal/g) and reduced calorie (98 kcal per portion; kcal/g) versions of a soymilk, with the reduced calorie version presented in one of four beverage context conditions:

  • Context 1 - Sensory-matched, unlabelled calorie reduction (control) - Sensory matched to taste like the original (equally sweet, thick and creamy), without a label identifier (covert energy reduction).
  • Context 2 - Sensory-matched, labelled calorie reduction - The same sensory matched beverage as above, but with the HCS attached (explicit energy reduction).
  • Context 3 - Sensory-reduced, labelled calorie reduction - Designed to taste less thick, sweet and creamy than the original, with the HCS attached (explicit energy reduction).
  • Context 4 - Sensory-enhanced, labelled calorie reduction - Designed to taste thicker, creamier and sweeter than the original, with the HCS attached (explicit energy reduction).

Participants consumed the two beverages (original vs. reduced energy) in one of the four beverage contexts on two non-consecutive test sessions at the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, with at least three days washout between each session. The calorie reduction was conducted as full-crossover while the beverage context groups were assigned non-crossover, to reduce demand awareness.

The primary objective was to assess changes in lunch energy intake (kcal) after consuming the original and reduced-calorie beverages, depending on the beverage context the reduced calorie version was presented in.

The secondary objectives were to assess the sensory evaluations of the beverages (liking and perceived thickness, sweetness and expected fullness etc.), changes in rated appetite up to 180 minutes post-consumption and energy intake (kcal) for the rest of the test day (recorded in a food diary), as a function of the beverages energy density and context.

Enrollment

121 patients

Sex

All

Ages

21 to 50 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged between 21 and 50 years
  • English Speaking

Exclusion criteria

  • People who are taking insulin or medications known to affect glucose metabolism, appetite or energy metabolism
  • Individuals who are currently following a diet program
  • People with intolerances or allergies to study foods or test products, e.g. soya, wheat, gluten, cereal, fruits, biscuits, dairy products, rice, vegetable, meat, seafood, sugar and sweetener, gelatin, natural food colourings or flavourings, etc
  • Pregnant women
  • Regular smokers (> 5 cigarettes per week)
  • Individuals with body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 and > 30.0 kg/m2

Trial design

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Factorial Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

121 participants in 4 patient groups

Sensory Matched/Unlabelled
Active Comparator group
Description:
Sensory-matched covert calorie reduction, unlabelled
Treatment:
Behavioral: Product Labelling and Sensory modifications
Sensory Matched/Labelled
Experimental group
Description:
Sensory-matched explicit calorie reduction, labelled
Treatment:
Behavioral: Product Labelling and Sensory modifications
Sensory Reduced/Labelled
Experimental group
Description:
Sensory-reduced explicit calorie reduction, labelled
Treatment:
Behavioral: Product Labelling and Sensory modifications
Sensory Enhanced/Labelled
Experimental group
Description:
Sensory-enhanced explicit calorie reduction, labelled
Treatment:
Behavioral: Product Labelling and Sensory modifications

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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