Scientists at the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health are starting a new weight loss study to assess mechanisms associated with hunger during dieting. They are particularly interested in the role of diet composition in helping people comply with weight loss diets.
"Our interest is in the mechanisms that control appetite and the feeling of being full during dieting because one of the main reasons why people break a diet is because they feel hungry", said Dr Alex Johnstone, from the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, who is leading the study.
"Mechanisms that control hunger are still not clearly understood. We know that the gut feeds messages to the brain to tell us to start and stop eating. Our research is designed to further our understanding of appetite control.
"Obesity is a huge problem, not only in Scotland, and we need to be able to design effective strategies to help people comply with weight loss regimes. Losing 5 to 10% body weight will result in a clinically relevant improvement in metabolic health profile".
Men who volunteer to take part will undergo a 7 week weight-loss study at the Human Nutrition Unit at the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, where they will receive an individualised calorie control diet to help them lose weight.
Dr Johnstone continued: "We know that high-protein diets are particularly helpful during dieting because protein fills you up and you feel less hungry and more full. This study will assess motivation to eat in the subjects undergoing weight loss, on three different diets, with differing amounts of protein. All of the subjects will try all of the diets".
Dr Johnstone is looking for twenty overweight men, to take part in the study. Volunteers will attend at the Human Nutrition Unit for the trial, which is based in Bucksburn, on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
Those wishing to volunteer for the study should contact Dr Johnstone on 01224 712751.
The study is funded by Rural and Environment Research Analysis Directorate (Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health).