Relation of Obesity With Frequency of Meals (MST 0557)

The hypothesis will be tested by studying two groups of normal subjects who will receive a defined weight maintenance diet: one group will be given meals twice a day and other group will be given eight meals (snacks) per day. At the beginning of the study period and after 4 weeks following the specified frequency of meals, the study subjects will have their whole body insulin sensitivity and hepatic fat content measured by the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp and MRI of the liver, respectively.

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy individuals
• Age between 18-45 years
• Body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 - 24.9

Exclusion criteria

• Diabetes mellitus
• Chronic drug treatment for any medical condition like hypertension or hyperlipidemia, hyperthyroidism or taking weight control medications.
• Inability to give informed consent.
• Inability to give contact information including permanent residence or provide evidence of stable living environment for the study period.
• Active weight reduction of more than 7 pounds in the last 3 months.
• History of bleeding or blood clotting disorders.
• Pregnancy or breast-feeding in the women.
• History of anaphylaxis or anaphylactoid-like reaction as a result of food allergies.
• HIV or hepatitis B and C positive subjects.
• Subjects with hemoglobin < 8.5 gm/dl.
• Abnormal liver function test (ALT, AST, alkaline phosphate, LDH, GGT or total bilirubin).
• Serum creatinine or BUN greater than the upper limit of the normal, serum albumin less than 3.5g/dl, or proteinuria 1+ or greater.
• History of alcohol intake of more than 40 g/day.
• Contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including pacemakers, surgical clips, metallic implants, neuromuscular- skeletal stimulators and internal orthopedic screws or rods.