Food cravings and energy regulation: the characteristics of craved foods and their relationship with eating behaviors and weight change during 6 months of dietary energy restriction

Objective: To examine characteristics of craved foods in relation to dietary energy restriction (ER) with high (HG) and low glycemic load (LG) diets. Design: Assessments of food cravings before and during a randomized controlled trial of HG and LG diets provided for 6 months. Subjects: Thirty-two healthy, overweight women aged 20–42 years. Measurements: Self-reported food cravings and dietary intake, body weight, weight history and measures of eating behaviors. Results: Foods craved at baseline were more than twice as high in energy density as the habitual diet (3.7±1.5 vs 1.7±0.3 kcal/g; P