those who had consumed more protein at breakfast had consumed much less total energy throughout the day. Those who began the day by consuming low-protein foods then increased their intake, suggesting they were trying to make up for it by consuming more total energy. This is true even though both groups' first meal was the smallest, including the least quantity of food and energy, and their last meal was the largest.
Throughout the day, participants consumed less of the recommended five food groups--grains, vegetables/legumes, fruit, dairy, and meats--and more discretionary items--energy-dense meals high in saturated fats, sweets, salt, or alcohol. Their percentage of protein energy decreased even as their intake of discretionary foods increased, resulting in an overall inferior diet at each mealtime. This phenomenon is known as "protein dilution."
Effect seen in other studies
Professor Raubenheimer and colleagues have seen this effect before in other studies for more than a decade, including randomised control trials.
"The problem with randomised controlled trials is that it treats diet as a disease when it's not," said Dr Grech. "Laboratory studies may not be indicative of what people are actually eating and doing at a population level. So this study is important as it builds on work, showing that people do seek out protein. And it confirms that, at a population level, as the proportion of energy from protein increases in the diet, people eat fewer fats and carbohydrates."
While there are many factors that can cause excessive weight gain, such as eating habits, physical activity levels, and sleep schedules, scientists from the University of Sydney contend that the body's strong need for protein and the absence of highly processed and refined foods are major contributors to energy overconsumption and obesity in the West.
Explanation for Obesity
"The results support an integrated ecological and mechanistic explanation for obesity, in which low-protein, highly processed foods lead to higher energy intake in response to a nutrient imbalance driven by a dominant appetite for protein," said Professor Raubenheimer. "It supports a central role for the protein in the obesity epidemic, with significant implications for global health."
Seeking to understand how protein drives human nutrition has also sought taken Professor Raubenheimer to study the diets of people in some of the most remote places, from the Congo to the Himalayas. "The protein mechanism in appetite is a revolutionary insight," he said. "Obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease - they're all driven by diet, and we have to use what we're learning to bring them under control."
( With inputs from ANI )
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