The 2010 National Health Objectives call for a reduction in the prevalence of obesity. The marked recent increase in overweight and obesity prevalence implicates behavioral factors in the etiology of the epidemic. The present proposal hypothesizes the trend is attributal, in part, to increasing consumption of energy-yeilding beverages since they are a significant and increasing source of dietarty energy and they elicit weaker appetitive and dietary responses than solid foods.

Three human studies are propsed to more fully characterized attributes of liquids and solids that may account for the differential appetitive responses they elicit, potential contributory mechanisms as well as the dietary implications of their consumption. Study 1 will contrast the acute effects of fluid and solid foods varying in macronutrient content on satiation, satiety and feeding. Study 2 will determine if the pattern of fluid and solid ingestion influences satiety and feeding by monitoring appetitive and dietary responses to energy and macronutrient matched fluid and solid loads ingested as meal components or between meal snacks. To better assess the clinical implications ofdiets incorpprating liquid or solid supplements. Study 3 will entail chronic ingestion of matched energy yeilding fluid or solid loads with concurrent measurement of appetite, dietary intake, energy expenditureand body weight/composition.

Inclusion Criteria:

• BMI 18-23 or 27-35
• weight stable
• constant habitual activity pattern
• low fruit/vegetable consumer
• non-restrained eater

Exclusion Criteria:

• diabetic
• taking medication known to influence appetite