A "liquid lunch" could no longer mean a few pints down the pub, but instead a healthy way to lose weight, according to a study presented by scientists from food giant Unilever.
The scientists found that bulking up the volume of food with certain gases or water can make you feel fuller than otherwise, and reduces the amount you eat afterwards.
In a study, scientists from Unilever’s research laboratories tested on 24 people a full milkshake-like meal, and a half-sized version bulked up with gas similar to that used in aerosol whipped cream.
It turned out that the gas-filled meal actually reduced appetite more than the standard one, according to the research.
"What was really surprising was that satiety (feeling full) was maintained for one to two hours or even longer. We know that the problem for some is that satiety is often lost after 15 minutes or so, so this was a pleasant surprise," Sergey Melnikov, who is a research and development project leader on weight management, said.
He explained that for many who are attempting to lose weight, it is the maintenance of the weight-loss regime that is difficul