How Does The Volumetric Diet Work?

What do we mean by energy density?

While most diets work temporarily because you are restricting your calories, in the long run they fail because most people do not stay on them long term. Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., has been researching the topic of energy density for many years and has published many studies on the topic. Based on her findings, the volumetrics diet was created. It is based on the concept of energy density and satiety, and it is a lifestyle change, not a short-term quick fix.

Energy density is the amount of energy; in nutrition we are referring to calories in a specific food. If a food is very calorically dense, it has a lot of calories for a small volume of food. If it is lower in density, then you get a larger quantity of food for those calories. Fat, the most energy-dense nutrient, has nine calories per gram; alcohol has seven calories per gram, and protein and carbohydrates both have four calories per gram.

Explanation of satiety

Satiety basically means fullness. Certain foods will make you feel fuller and help control hunger better than others. Foods with a higher water and fiber content have a large impact on satiety. These foods usually have a lower density; therefore, you can eat larger amounts of them. Foods high that are high in water content are fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk, lean protein sources and whole grains. The high water content dilutes the calories, allowing for a larger volume of these items to be consumed without adding a lot of calories. Fiber, another nutrient that influences satiety, provides bulk without a lot of calories. Many of the same foods that are high in water content are also high in fiber.

Putting this into practice

By using the concepts of energy density and satiety, Rolls created a diet that allows you to control your caloric intake while consuming enough food to provide satiety. Here's an example of these concepts: let's say your normal snack choice is a candy bar. Today you are given a snack choice of a candy bar or three apples. Both the same amount of calories, yet which would satisfy your hunger? The candy bar would be delicious for the minute or two that it would take to eat it, and then you would be looking for something else. Three apples would quite a while to consume, and most people would probably not eat all three, as they would be full after one or two. If that is the case, they would be decreasing their calories, thus leading to weight loss.