Evaluation of Hunger, Food Intake, and Body Weight

Human eating behavior is determined by the interplay of a variety of factors, including those in the environment and those related to the sensory, behavioral, and physiological responses of individuals to food. Intense sweeteners provide sweet tastes which are inherently pleasant and which can improve the palatability of a variety of foods. Sweetness therefore can affect the appetite for or desire to eat particular foods. Before the introduction of intense sweeteners, the sweet taste was provided by sugars or honey and therefore was associated with the ingestion of energy. Consumption of energy in the form of carbohydrates, such as sugar, would usually be associated with a reduction in hunger, increased satiety, and a suppression of further intake. Through experience, individuals learn that particular foods are associated with these changed sensations. 1,2 A key question in recent debates about the actions of intense sweeteners has been what happens to hunger and appetite when the sweet taste is dissociated from the ingestion of energy. In this review we will consider how the intense sweetener aspartame influences appetite, hunger and satiety, food intake, food choices, and body weight.