Meal Enjoyment and Tolerance: Sex Differences

Factors That Determine the Responses to Meal Ingestion: Sex Differences

Aim: to determine the effect of gender on the responses to meal ingestion. Participants (10 men and 10 women) will be instructed to eat a standard dinner the day before, to consume a standard breakfast at home after overnight fast, and to report to the laboratory, where the test meal will be administered 4 h after breakfast. Studies will be conducted in a quiet, isolated room with participants sitting on a chair. Participants will ingest a probe meal up to the level of maximal satiation. The probe meal will be served stepwise (150 Kcal every 5 min). Perception of homeostatic (hunger/satiation, fullness) and hedonic (digestive well-being, mood) sensations will be measured at 5 min intervals 10 min before, during and 20 min after ingestion at 10 min intervals.

Inclusion Criteria:

• non-obese

Exclusion Criteria:

• history of gastrointestinal symptoms
• prior obesity
• use of medications
• history of anosmia and ageusia
• current dieting
• alcohol abuse
• psychological disorders
• eating disorders