The effect of variety and dietary restraint on food intake in lean young women: a preliminary study

When satiety develops specific to sensory properties of food, variety leads to increased eating. The relationship between meal variety and dietary restraint was explored here in lean young women (18–20 years), classified into unrestrainers versus restrainers using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire Restrained Eating Scale. The expected variety effect obtained for unrestrainers (p < .05) but not for restrainers, despite a typical sensitivity to sensory-specific satiety and the same rate of habituation to sensory-based food responses (i.e., hedonics) across them. Unrestrainers' eating appeared guided by hedonics (p < .05), but not restrainers'. These results suggest the potential involvement of an internal or participant characteristic, instead of an external factor, in moderating unrestrainers' versus restrainers' food consumption when offered a highly desired food (the favorite in the plain condition) versus less desired (but accepted) foods (presented successively with the favorite in the variety condition). Study limitations and suggestions for further research were discussed