Reliability of laboratory measurement of human food intake

The universal eating monitor (UEM) of Kissileff for laboratory measurement of food intake was modified and used with a newly developed special software to compute cumulative intake data. To explore the measurement precision of the UEM an investigation of test–retest-reliability of food intake parameters was conducted. The intake characteristics of 125 males and females were measured repeatedly in the laboratory with a measurement interval of 1 week. Pudding of preferred flavour served as test meal. Test–retest-reliability of intake characteristics ranged from .49 (change of eating rate) to .89 (initial eating rate). All test–retest correlations were highly significant. Sex, BMI and eating habits according to TFEQ-factors had no significant effects on reliability of intake characteristics. The test–retest-reliability of the laboratory intake measures is as good as those of personality questionnaires, where it should be better than .80. Reliability coefficients are valid independent of sex, BMI or trait characteristics of eating behaviour.