Dietary composition specifies consumption, obesity, and lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster.

The inability to properly balance energy intake and expenditure with nutrient supply forms the basis for some of today's most pressing health issues, including diabetes and obesity. Mechanisms of nutrient homeostasis may also lie at the root of dietary restriction, a manipulation whereby reduced nutrient availability extends lifespan and ameliorates age-related deteriorations in many species. The traditional belief that the most important aspect of the diet is its energetic (i.