Abstract

In the majority of adults, the qualitative and quantitative composition of food intake varies considerably from meal to meal and from day to day, while adiposity and body weight are remarkably constant despite huge short-term variations in energy balance. Most individuals match cumulative energy intake to energy expenditure with great precision when measured within a period including several meals. ¹ Such an active process—energy homeostasis—allows stability in the amount of body energy stored as fat.