When people eating a high-protein diet skip their planned meal and choose something with less protein, they tend to eat about 260 more calories that day.
Scientific Claim
In adults consuming a high-protein diet under ad-libitum conditions, a single self-selected meal with lower protein content is associated with a mean increase of 262 kcal in same-day caloric intake, suggesting macronutrient composition of a single meal may influence overall daily energy consumption.
Original Statement
“On the SSM day, the mean ± SD daily caloric intake increased by 262 ± 332 kcal compared to the previous study days (P < 0.001), with no changes in subjective appetite scores.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The study design is observational and non-randomized, so it cannot support causal claims. The authors used 'increased' which implies causation, but only association can be inferred.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
When people on a high-protein diet ate one meal with less protein than usual, they ended up eating about 262 more calories that day—even though they didn’t feel hungrier. This suggests what’s in a single meal can change how much you eat overall.