View article

The effects of the introduction of timed pauses within meals and palatability on food intake and changes in rated appetite during a meal were assessed in three experiments in which volunteers ate a lunch of pasta with a tomato sauce. Eating was monitored using a disguised electronic balance attached to a micro-computer, which also allowed the introduction of timed pauses within meals. In the first experiment, 16 subjects were tested with both a bland and palatable food (with 0·27% oregano), with eating uninterrupted or with pauses after every 50 g consumed during which appetite ratings were completed. Both the addition of oregano and the introduction of regular within-meal pauses enhanced overall intake. Rated hunger increased in the early stages of eating the palatable food in the interrupted condition, and then declined, whereas hunger declined throughout with the bland food. Similarly, the linear function …