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Cafeteria diet intake for fourteen weeks can cause obesity and insulin resistance in Wistar rats

Dieta de cafeteria por quatorze semanas pode causar obesidade e resistência insulínica em ratos Wistar

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is a strong predictor of some kinds of diseases. High intake of high-fat foods contributes significantly to the growth of the obese population globally. The aim of this study was to verify if consumption of a cafeteria diet for fourteen weeks could increase white fat mass, body weight and skeletal muscle mass and promote insulin resistance in male Wistar rats. METHODS: Twenty animals were divided into two groups: control and obese. Both were fed standard chow and water ad libitum. Additionally, a cafeteria diet consisting of bacon, bologna sausage, sandwich cookies and soft drink was given to the obese group. RESULTS: The obese group was significantly heavier (p<0.0001) than controls from the second week until the end of the cafeteria-diet intervention. Absolute and relative fat mass, liver weight and Lee Index increased significantly (p<0.05) in the obese group. Furthermore, the obese group had lower (p<0.05) insulin sensitivity than the control group. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, fourteen weeks of cafeteria diet promoted a progressive increase of fat mass and insulin resistance. Therefore, this is a great and inexpensive diet-induced insulin resistance model.

Cafeteria diet; High-fat food; Insulin resistance; Obesity


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