Energy balance
Humans exhibit sensitivity to meal energy density (ED) by adjusting meal size to minimize acute aversive effects of overconsumption, specifically through a nonlinear relationship where calorie-content signals dominate at high EDs (>1.41-1.75 kcal/g).
Your body naturally regulates intake based on how energy-dense your food is. When you eat foods with high energy density (above ~1.5 kcal/g), your body uses calorie-sensing signals to reduce your meal size, preventing overconsumption. This is a learned and biological response, not just stomach volume. Focus on understanding that high-energy foods trigger different satiety signals than low-energy, high-volume foods.
These analyses reveal that, on some level, humans are sensitive to the energy content of meals and adjust meal size to minimize the acute aversive effects of overconsumption.
Why this rating
Large sample size (32,162 meals in NDNS) and controlled environment data (Hall et al.), but observational/secondary analysis nature limits causal inference compared to RCTs.
Source
Time to revisit the passive overconsumption hypothesis? Humans show sensitivity to calories in energy-rich meals
Annika N. Flynn et al. · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · 2022
DOI 10.1093/ajcn/nqac112
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