Taste buds influence obesity

Added on 08/03/10

Author: Graham Pembrey

Our taste-buds can influence the likelihood that we will become obese, scientists claim. They believe that our tongues are more sensitive to picking up the ‘taste of fat’: a sixth taste, alongside the traditional five of sweet, sour, salt, bitter and unami (a taste for identifying protein-rich foods).

This could explain why some people find fast-foods and oily snacks like crisps and chocolate harder to resist.

The evidence for this finding was presented in a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Subjects were asked to consume a modified milk drink. At the end of the test, people with extra sensitivity to fat were more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI). And upon examining their dieting habits, it was revealed that these people were more likely to consume fatty foods.

With obesity affecting a quarter of adults in the UK, this research could be very important. It reinforces years of previous research about the links between taste-buds and obesity, including a 2005 trial showing that rats had taste receptors for fat.

There has been a great deal of debate as to why some people are more likely to become overweight, while others are not. Genetic factors and lifestyle factors both come into play.

Sometimes the simplest answers are the best though, and it remains a fact that eating fatty foods is likely to increase your chances of becoming obese. Foods rich in saturated fat are extremely popular in Britain. From McDonalds and KFC, to packets of crisps and fried English breakfasts, as a nation we are seemingly hooked on high-fat meals.

Cutting down on your saturated fat is a sure-fire way to lose weight, and to reduce your risk of serious, potentially fatal, conditions such as cardiovascular disease. Exercising and eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables are also essential parts of maintaining a healthy weight.