Research

Energy balance

Modifying dietary energy density by increasing water and fiber content reduces total energy intake and aids in obesity management.

Focus on lowering the energy density of your meals. Add more water-rich vegetables and high-fiber foods to your plates. This increases the physical volume of your food, triggering satiety signals from stomach distension, which helps you naturally eat less without feeling deprived.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
There are substantial data to suggest that total energy intake over the short term (a few days) varies directly with the energy density of the diet... reducing the energy density of the diet can have a major impact on reducing the energy density of the diet. Since there are solid data showing that reducing energy density reduces energy intake (at least in the short term), functional foods aimed at modifying energy density may be useful in managing obesity.
James O. Hill et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2002

Why this rating

The paper cites 'solid data' and 'substantial data' for short-term intake reduction, but explicitly calls for more long-term data.

Source

Biomarkers and functional foods for obesity and diabetes

James O. Hill et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2002

DOI 10.1079/bjn2002685

narrative_reviewCited 65×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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