Abstract

Feeding behavior of rats with restricted access to solid food was analyzed by record- ing body weight, food consumption, kilocalories, water, and alternating two types of milk containing low or high caloric density. Fifteen male rats were assigned to two experimental and one control groups. After recording ad libitum body weight of all subjects, rats had free access to solid food, water and milk for 1 hour daily. Each experimental group had access to one type of milk, either high or low caloric density that was inverted in a subsequent condition. Afterwards, a preference test for the two types of milk was conducted for the two experimental groups. The control group had no access to milk. Caloric intake contributed by high-caloric density milk was higher relative to low-caloric density milk. However, there were no differences between groups in the total calories provided by food and milk. No differences were found between the experimental groups in the preference test. It was concluded that the total daily calorie did not depend on the caloric density of milk and there was also a regulation of solid food consumption that controlled the number of total calories ingested daily.

Keywords: eating behavior, caloric density, deprivation food consumption, rats.