Objective: To assess the changes in energy intake (EI), food intake volume (FV) and energy density (ED) related to age and gender in a population in the Mediterranean area of Spain, and to determine the different role of FV and ED on the consecution of the adequate EI throughout lifespan.
Subjects: One thousand and eighty-eight individuals (1-65 y) randomly selected from the population census.
Design: Cross-sectional study in which food intake was quantified by 24 h dietary recall, three non-consecutive days. Height and weight measurements were taken in 885 individuals.
Results: EI, FV and ED increased progressively (P < 0.001) between 1-2 y and 10-12 y of age in both sexes. At 1-2 y the EI is 5.8+/-1.5 MJ/d, FV 1195+/-275 g/d and ED 4.8+/-0.9 kJ/g. Between 1-2 and 3-4 y, coinciding with an EI that increased up to 7.2+/-1.5 MJ/d, there was an increase in ED up to 6.1+/-0.8 kJ/g (P < 0.001), while the FV did not vary significantly. At the start of puberty, between 7-9 and 10-12 y, when the EI increased to 9.7+/-0.9 MJ/d (P < 0.001) in males, the ED rose to 7.1+/-0.9 kJ/g (P < 0.001) while the FV did not vary significantly. At this age, a significant difference between the genders was observed in the EI (P = 0.04), and in the ED (P = 0.02) but not, as yet, in the FV. During adulthood, a significant trend towards decrease (P < 0.001 in both sexes) was observed in EI and ED. However, FV decreased significantly only in females.
Conclusions: The changes in energy intake that were observed with respect to age and gender were accommodated-for by changes in the ED of the diet rather than by variations in food volume intake. Autoregulation of the ED of the diet, sufficient for energy intake requirement changes, appears to be an essential human capacity for efficient nutrition.