Even if they eat the same amount of food by weight, mice on a fatty diet take in way more calories because fat has more energy than other nutrients.

Scientific Claim

Female ICR mice on a high-fat diet (60% kcal from fat) for four weeks consume significantly more calories per day than controls, despite similar total food mass intake in early weeks.

Original Statement

“HF mice (33.00 ± 0.80) consumed more calories than CON (24.60 ± 0.90)... In week 1, there was no significant difference in calorie consumption between diets during the day... but at night mice on HF diet consumed significantly more calories than CON mice (t 64 = -4.81, P < 0.001).”

From study:High fat diet induces obesity, alters eating pattern and disrupts corticosterone circadian rhythms in female ICR mice

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

Caloric intake is a derived but valid quantitative measure based on diet composition and food intake. The claim accurately reflects the observed difference.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

High fat diet induces obesity, alters eating pattern and disrupts corticosterone circadian rhythms in female ICR mice

Cohort Study

Animal

2023

The mice eating the fatty food ate more calories each day than the mice eating normal food, even though they didn’t eat much more food by weight — because the fatty food had more energy packed into it.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

High fat diet induces obesity, alters eating pattern and disrupts corticosterone circadian rhythms in female ICR mice

Score: 15

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279209

Similar Assertions

At first, the mice on the fatty diet ate the same amount of food by weight as the others, but still got more calories because fat is energy-dense.

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When female mice eat a diet full of fat for a month, they get much heavier than mice eating a normal diet, and this starts happening after just two weeks.

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Mice on a fatty diet not only weigh more, but also have a lot more body fat and a higher BMI, meaning they’re much fatter than mice on a normal diet.

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Mice that eat a high-fat diet start snacking more during the day—when they normally sleep—and eat less at night—when they normally are active.

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The natural daily rise and fall of the stress hormone in the mice’s poop becomes flatter and stays higher all day when they eat a fatty diet.

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