Evenly Distributing Daily Dietary Protein Across Three Meals Reduces Women's Snack Food Reinforcement and Intake of Energy-Dense Snack Foods During Weight Loss: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Angela De Leon, James N Roemmich, Shanon L Casperson
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial examined the impact of protein distribution on snack food reinforcement and intake among healthy women aged 20 to 44 with a BMI of 28 to 45. Participants followed either an even protein distribution across three meals or a skewed distribution favoring dinner. The EVEN group showed a lower relative reinforcing value (RRV) for energy-dense snacks (0.44 ± 0.04) compared to the SKEWED group (0.55 ± 0.04), indicating reduced snack food intake.
Key findings
- The EVEN group had a lower RRV for energy-dense snacks (0.44 ± 0.04) compared to the SKEWED group (0.55 ± 0.04).
- Snack consumption was significantly lower in the EVEN group (44.3 ± 5.2 g) than in the SKEWED group (62.0 ± 5.1 g).
- No significant difference in the amount of snacks earned between groups (P = .2338).
Why it matters
Understanding how protein distribution affects snack food reinforcement and intake can inform dietary strategies for weight loss, particularly in women. This knowledge may enhance adherence to weight-loss diets by reducing the appeal of energy-dense snacks.