Mastication and Energy Expenditure in Normal Weight and Obese People

The objective of the study is to analyze the specific role of physical properties of food and mastication in the cephalic phase reflex of thermogenesis, and the involvement of the autonomic nervous system in the implementation of this reflex. The hypothesis of the study is that oral stimulation elicited by food properties during mastication can generate changes in the amplitude of variation of thermogenesis, and that these changes are distinct from those attributable to the thermal effect of food during digestion.