Cumulative food intake curves and diet-induced thermogenesis were recorded in women during four-course solid-food lunches, consisting of familiar and unfamiliar food, offered in ad lib or restricted portions, in order to assess a possible relation between eating behaviour on the one hand and a reflection of internal processes and subject characteristics on the other. The subjects were characterized as normal weight restrained, normal weight unrestrained, and overweight restrained. A negative relation was found between degree of restraint and deceleration of the cumulative food intake curve during the ad lib courses of any menu, and between degree of restraint and diet-induced thermogenesis (p less than 0.001). Consequently, a positive relation was found between deceleration of the cumulative food intake curves during the ad lib courses of any menu and diet-induced thermogenesis (p less than 0.001). Diet-induced thermogenesis during the first serving of a meal consisting of unfamiliar food was significantly higher in all groups than during the other two times, when meals consisting of more familiar food were served (+0.98%; 0.71%, p less than 0.05).