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Fig. 7. Effects of elevated dietary fat on seasonal energy conservation. Males were individually housed in sex-mixed rooms and exposed to LDs or SDs for 10 wk (n = 6). A: when LD/Mixed hamsters were transferred from low to moderate dietary fat, they exhibited no significant alteration of weight gain between weeks 1 and 3, followed by a reduction in weight gain at week 4. Low levels of weight gain persisted between weeks 4 and 10. Moderate dietary fat in SD/Mixed hamsters promoted reductions in weight gain from weeks 1 to 10. Between weeks 5 and 10, at least some hamsters in the SD/Mixed group lost weight. B: in LD/Mixed hamsters, transition from low to moderate dietary fat promoted hyperphagia for 3 wk followed by normophagia, except for hypophagia at week 6. Compared with LD/Mixed hamsters, moderate dietary fat in SD/Mixed hamsters reduced food intake from weeks 1 to 10 and promoted hypophagia between weeks 4 and 10. C: in LD/Mixed hamsters, moderate dietary fat promoted hypercaloric eating except for normocaloric eating at week 6. Compared with LD/Mixed hamsters, moderate dietary fat in SD/Mixed hamsters reduced caloric intake from weeks 1 to 10 and promoted hypercaloric intake at weeks 1 and 2. This was followed by normocaloric intake, except for hypocaloric intake at weeks 9 and 10. D: compared with LD/Mixed hamsters, moderate dietary fat in SD/Mixed hamsters reduced caloric efficiency. Means ± SE are shown. For LD vs. SD comparison *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01.
