Abstract
Objective: To assess the changes in energy intake (EI), food intake volume (FV) and energy density (ED) related to age and gender in a population in the Mediterranean area of Spain, and to determine the different role of FV and ED on the consecution of the adequate EI throughout lifespan.
Subjects: One thousand and eighty-eight individuals (1–65 y) randomly selected from the population census.
Design: Cross-sectional study in which food intake was quantified by 24 h dietary recall, three non-consecutive days. Height and weight measurements were taken in 885 individuals.
Results: EI, FV and ED increased progressively (P<0.001) between 1–2 y and 10–12 y of age in both sexes. At 1–2 y the EI is 5.8±1.5 MJ/d, FV 1195±275 g/d and ED 4.8±0.9 kJ/g. Between 1–2 and 3–4 y, coinciding with an EI that increased up to 7.2±1.5 MJ/d, there was an increase in ED up to 6.1±0.8 kJ/g (P<0.001), while the FV did not vary significantly. At the start of puberty, between 7–9 and 10–12 y, when the EI increased to 9.7±0.9 MJ/d (P<0.001) in males, the ED rose to 7.1±0.9 kJ/g (P<0.001) while the FV did not vary significantly. At this age, a significant difference between the genders was observed in the EI (P=0.04), and in the ED (P=0.02) but not, as yet, in the FV. During adulthood, a significant trend towards decrease (P<0.001 in both sexes) was observed in EI and ED. However, FV decreased significantly only in females.
Conclusions: The changes in energy intake that were observed with respect to age and gender were accommodated-for by changes in the ED of the diet rather than by variations in food volume intake. Auto-regulation of the ED of the diet, sufficient for energy intake requirement changes, appears to be an essential human capacity for efficient nutrition.
Sponsorship: This study was funded, in part, by a grant for B Vizmanos from DANONE, Spain.
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Guarantor: Carlos Martí-Henneberg, MD PhD
Contributors: C Martí-Henneberg, V Arija and F Capedevila designed the study, coordinted the field work and wrote the paper. B Vizmanos, S Pérez and G Cucó did the field work and J Fernández-Ballart did the statistical analysis and contributed to the realization of the study.
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Martí-Henneberg, C., Capdevila, F., Arija, V. et al. Energy density of the diet, food volume and energy intake by age and sex in a healthy population. Eur J Clin Nutr 53, 421–428 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600770
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600770
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