Conducted 3 experiments using 40 male Sprague-Dawley albino and hooded rats as Ss. No strict correlations between meals and intermeal intervals were observed in free-feeding patterns. Pooling of raw data into deciles did increase correlations, but also reduced data variance systematically. Reanalysis of raw data in relative terms (i.e., ratios of meals and intermeal intervals) yielded reliable meal pattern correlations, and indicated that feeding patterns are controlled by endogenous circadian signals of body nutrient depletion-repletion rather than short-term consequences of recently ingested food. Chronic treatment with insulin (which prevents mobilization of stored nutrients) appeared to attenuate the repletion signal, and termination of treatment (which leads to increased breakdown of stored nutrients) to accentuate the signal. Accordingly, the pattern of feeding may reflect lipid and/or glycogen metabolism. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)