(P04-030-25) Acute Cardiometabolic Effects of a Movie Theater-Style Meal

Objectives: Meals consumed at movie theaters are often strikingly high in refined sugar (≥150g) and moderate in sodium, which may have acute, adverse health effects. We aimed to characterize the cardiometabolic response to movie theater-style meals alone (i.e., fasting) and after first consuming a high-fat meal.

Methods: Healthy participants (N=10; 5M/5F; 18-45y) completed two trials in random order. At both trials, participants consumed a movie theater-style meal (popcorn, candy, soda; 884 kcal; 150g sugar; 700mg sodium). At one trial, the movie theater meal was consumed alone (Fasting Trial). At the other trial, a high-fat meal (820 kcal; 56g fat) was consumed 3.5 hours prior to the movie theater meal (Fed Trial). At both trials, blood was collected through intravenous catheters (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4h) and vascular function (flow-mediated dilation [FMD]) was assessed (0, 2, 4h) after movie theater meal consumption. Circulating glucose, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured (Piccolo Xpress). Insulin and biomarkers of intestinal permeability (i.e., soluble sCD14 [sCD14], lipopolysaccharide binding protein [LBP]) were determined using ELISA. Mixed-model ANOVAs (meal×time) and change scores (Δ) were used to compare the response to the movie theater meal between trials.

Results: At both trials, glucose, insulin, and triglycerides increased, while HDL-C decreased (p_time’s≤0.05). Glucose was higher at Fasting compared to Fed at 0.5h (p_{meal x time} < 0.01). ΔInsulin (p=0.02), but not Δglucose (p=0.10), was higher at Fasting versus Fed. Peak glucose (range=89-178 mg/dL) and insulin (range=28.3-307.6 mU/L) varied widely between participants across trials. However, Δglucose and Δinsulin were not correlated with body fat or lean mass parameters (p’s≥0.11). ΔTriglycerides (p < 0.001) and triglycerides at 0, 0.5, and 1h (p_{meal x time} < 0.01) were higher at Fed versus Fasting. Absolute and percent FMD tended to decrease, regardless of trial (p_time’s≥0.08). ΔLBP and ΔsCD14 (p’s < 0.001) were higher at Fed than Fasting.

Conclusions: Overall, the movie theater meal altered several cardiometabolic factors both when eaten alone and after high-fat meal consumption, though notable inter-individual variability was observed.

Funding Sources: Internal Funding Sources