Continuous access to snacks from weaning onwards in female rats causes weight gain, insulin insensitivity, and sustained leptin resistance in adulthood

Publication date: Available online 22 November 2018Source: Physiology & BehaviorAuthor(s): Rebecca C. Clawson, Leslie N. dela Cruz, Steven Allen, Tierney Wolgemuth, Amanda Maner, Anna Dorsett, Helen I'AnsonAbstractA large part of the daily intake of children in the U.S. consists of snacks, with the average child consuming three snacks per day. Despite this, little research has been conducted to determine the metabolic and behavioral effects of snacking. Using a developing female rat model, our studies aimed to determine the effects of snacking during development before the protective effects of estrogen on weight gain would be relevant. Additionally, to determine if snack composition is important, we created one healthy and one unhealthy snacking group provided with chow and three snacks each in addition to a chow-only group. We found that both snacking groups experienced increased weight gain, elevated abdominal fat pad mass, prolonged leptin resistance into adulthood, and insulin insensitivity that was not observed in their non-snacking counterparts. These physiological differences were measured despite both snacking groups having a similar caloric intake as the chow-only group throughout the study. In addition to physiological changes, both snacking groups showed a preference for snacks over chow and ate more often during the inactive light phase than typical for rats, with the unhealthy snacking group presenting this behavioral change earlier than the healthy snacking gro...
Source: Physiology and Behavior - Category: Physiology Source Type: research