A new study has found that those who cannot detect fat in their food are more likely to overeat and become obese. It has been published in the journal Appetite and adds weight to a growing body of research that highlights a connection between fat taste and obesity. The Researchers at the Deakin University, Australia, have found that people who can't taste the fat in foods eat significantly more at lunch after having had a high fat breakfast.
"These results suggest that the ability to taste fat is linked with the fullness experienced from fat," said Professor Russell Keast. "If you do not taste fat or experience the fullness associated with eating fatty food, you are likely to be more hungry and consume more energy after an earlier fatty meal. And as we know over consumption of foods, particularly fatty foods, is associated with people being overweight or obese," Keast noted
.
For the study, the participants were tested on their sensitivity and ability to taste fat over four days. They started their day with a breakfast high on protein, carbohydrate and fats followed by a buffet style lunch where they ate a variety of foods until comfortably full.This research builds on Keast's previous work that found fat to be a part of the tongue's taste range (along with sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami) and supports conjecture that the ability to taste fat is associated with development of obesity."It is becoming clear that our ability to taste fat is a factor in the development of obesity. We know that people have a taste threshold for fat. Some people have a high sensitivity to the taste and are likely to eat less fatty foods, while others are less sensitive and cannot taste fat and are more likely to overeat fatty foods, Through this latest study we now see that low sensitivity to fat taste impairs the body's ability to register the fullness signals that would normally come from eating fatty foods. The evidence is therefore building that increasing fat taste sensitivity in those who are insensitive is required as one way to address the growing obesity problem" explained Keast.Inputs from PTI
"These results suggest that the ability to taste fat is linked with the fullness experienced from fat," said Professor Russell Keast. "If you do not taste fat or experience the fullness associated with eating fatty food, you are likely to be more hungry and consume more energy after an earlier fatty meal. And as we know over consumption of foods, particularly fatty foods, is associated with people being overweight or obese," Keast noted
.
For the study, the participants were tested on their sensitivity and ability to taste fat over four days. They started their day with a breakfast high on protein, carbohydrate and fats followed by a buffet style lunch where they ate a variety of foods until comfortably full.This research builds on Keast's previous work that found fat to be a part of the tongue's taste range (along with sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami) and supports conjecture that the ability to taste fat is associated with development of obesity."It is becoming clear that our ability to taste fat is a factor in the development of obesity. We know that people have a taste threshold for fat. Some people have a high sensitivity to the taste and are likely to eat less fatty foods, while others are less sensitive and cannot taste fat and are more likely to overeat fatty foods, Through this latest study we now see that low sensitivity to fat taste impairs the body's ability to register the fullness signals that would normally come from eating fatty foods. The evidence is therefore building that increasing fat taste sensitivity in those who are insensitive is required as one way to address the growing obesity problem" explained Keast.Inputs from PTI
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