2.3. Body Weight and Food Intake

The body weight (BW) of each mouse was measured at weekly intervals throughout the study period. Food intake (g/mouse/day) was determined for the first six weeks of the study by calculating the differences between initial and final weight of the food in the cages (including any spilled food in the cages) over a three- or four-day period and dividing by the number of days and number of mice in each cage. Energy intake (kcal/mouse/day) was calculated based on the energy content of the feed, as determined by nutritional analysis (Table 2).