A role for XXXX and @entity2690 preprandial profiles to differentiate meals and snacks.

@entity33480 @entity2690 @entity413
A physiological distinction between eating occasions may help account for contradictory findings on the role of eating frequency in energy homeostasis. We assessed this issue using a midafternoon eating occasion known in France as the go  ter that often consists of snack foods. Among the 24 male subjects, 8 habitually consumed four meals per day, i.e., were usual go  ter eaters (GE) and 16 habitually took 3 meals per day, i.e., usual non-go  ter non-snack eaters (NGNSE). All subjects were time blinded from lunchtime and had to request subsequent meals. Blood was continuously withdrawn and collected with a change of tube every 10 min until dinner request. During the session, 8 of the non-go  ter eaters (NGE) were offered a snack 210 min after lunch and were designated as @entity33480 ( @entity33480 ) if they ate. Results showed that the go  ter was preceded by high hunger scores and a linear decline in plasma @entity413 (-9.0+/-3.0%, P<.05) and @entity2690 concentrations (-22.9+/-6.0%, P<.05). These profiles were not observed before the snack. The dinner of GE was requested later and was smaller compared to NGNSE, whereas the snack altered neither time of request nor energy intake (EI) at dinner. Among blood variables, leptin at the onset of eating was the only factor that was predictive of both intermeal interval and EI. The @entity413 and @entity2690 profiles indicate that snacks should not be considered as meals in studies on the role of eating frequency in energy homeostasis.
