METABOLIC ADAPTATIONS TO A “STUFF AND STARVE” FEEDING PROGRAM. II. OBESITY AND THE PERSISTENCE OF ADAPTIVE CHANGES IN ADIPOSE TISSUE AND LIVER OCCURRING IN RATS LIMITED TO A SHORT DAILY FEEDING PERIOD*

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Abstract
Rats allowed access to food 2 hours daily show a marked increase in C-14 acetate incorporation into lipids by adipose tissue and increased HMP shunt enzyme activity in adipose tissue in vitro and high fasting levels of liver glycogen after 5-7 days on this program. Longer term effects of this feeding program are: (1) after 70 days, 8 rats allowed access to food 2 hours per day were 33% heavier than 5 rats fed ad libitum; (2) rats limited to a daily 2 hour feeding program for 7 days and then allowed to eat ad libitum for 7 days still had an abnormal feeding pattern, increased lipid synthesis and HMP shunt enzyme activity in adipose tissue; (3) these metabolic alterations were not present in rats starved for 2 or 3 days after 7 days on the feeding program but were present if these animals were allowed food ad libitum for 3 days after the period of fasting. These studies indicate that when food intake is limited to a short period each day rats gain more weight than ad libitum controls. There is concomitant increased lipid synthesis in adipose tissue. Increased lipid synthesis persists as does an abnormal eating pattern when rats previously limited to a short daily feeding period are allowed access to food ad libitum.