(P16-003-23) Changes in Food Cravings and Eating Behavior During a 4-Week High Fiber Feeding

Objectives: Several experimental studies support a reduction in total and specific food cravings during caloric restriction, but little is known whether a weight-stable high-fiber (HiFi) containing diet will equally reduce specific and total food cravings. Food cravings have also been shown to be correlated with measures of eating behavior. We aimed to determine the effects of dietary fiber intake on changes in food craving and eating behavior by hypothesizing that, in overweight/obese adults, consuming a HiFi diet for 4 weeks there will be reductions in specific (excepts for fruit and vegetables cravings) and total food cravings and also improvements in measures of eating behavior (restraint, disinhibition, and hunger) compared to a low-fiber (LowFi) diet.

Methods: Overweight/obese adults, were randomly assigned to consume a standard diet consisting of 5g/d (LowFi) or 25g/d (HiFi) of added pea fiber for 4 weeks (LowFi: n=7, BMI 29.2 ± 2.9 kg/m2, 34.0 ± 12.5 y; HiFi: n=8, mean ±SD, BMI 29.8 ± 2.1 kg/m2, 29.0 ± 8.1 y). At baseline and after 4 weeks on the LowFi or HiFi diet, specific and total food cravings were assessed with the Food Craving Inventory and eating behaviors were assessed with the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. A mixed model ANOVA and a paired t-test were used to assess between group and within group changes respectively.

Results: Preliminary findings indicate a significant effect of time for cravings for sweets (p=0.049), carbohydrates (p=0.015), fast-food fats (p=0.034), and total food cravings (excluding fruits and vegetables) (p=0.042). However, there was no significant effect of treatment or time by treatment interaction for any of the craving variables (p >0.05). Within group analyses showed that for the HiFi group cravings were significantly reduced for sweets (p=0.050), carbohydrates (p=0.034), and fast-food fats (p=0.018) after 4 weeks but not in the LowFi group. No significant changes were observed for any of the eating behaviors variables assessed (p >0.05). Furthermore, specific and total food cravings were not significantly correlated with eating behavior variables.

Conclusions: Consuming 25g/day of added pea fiber for 4 weeks may be beneficial in reducing specific food cravings but does not change eating behavior variables.

Funding Sources: University of Missouri and National Institutes of Health