Some people can blame taste buds for weight gain

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Some people can blame taste buds for weight gain

Last Updated: 2004-03-30 14:58:16 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By Alison McCook

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Science has confirmed it: a preference for

sweet or fatty foods can indeed put inches on the waistline.

Investigators found that Pima Indians in Arizona -- who are naturally

prone to obesity -- were more likely to gain weight over time if they

particularly liked the taste of highly sweetened and fatty foods.

These results show that what we like to eat influences what we eat, and

people who enjoy less healthy foods may pay the price in excess pounds,

study author Dr. Arline Salbe of the National Institutes of Health told

Reuters Health.

But don't go blaming your genes for your desire to eat chips and

chocolate; whether or not our genetic makeup influences our preferences

for unhealthy foods remains unclear, Salbe noted. Although researchers

have identified the genes for certain taste receptors, this area of

study remains extremely new, and there is much yet to learn.

" I believe (our genes) may contribute to the problem, but in the end,

choices are also made of free will, " Salbe said.

During the study, Salbe's team asked 123 Pima Indians to taste samples

of skim milk, whole milk, half and half, and cream. The investigators

added varying amounts of sugar to the samples, and asked each person to

indicate how much they enjoyed each sample.

The researchers then weighed 75 of the group an average of five years

later, to see if their preference for fat and sweet flavors affected

their size.

Reporting in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers

found that the participants who particularly enjoyed the more fat- and

sugar-laden samples tended to gain more weight than those who preferred

the healthier choices.

" Quite simply, the more you expressed a liking for these sweet and

creamy solutions, the more you were found to eat, " Salbe said. The

researcher believes the current findings apply to people of all racial

backgrounds.

Salbe explained that while taste is influenced by genetics, environment

likely plays a strong role, as well. " People often like what is familiar

and that may be influenced by familial, cultural, or ethnic ties. "

However, even if you grew up on a rich diet of creamy and sugary foods,

tastes for such foods can change, Salbe noted. For instance, people are

often reluctant to switch from whole to non-fat milk, but often find

that if they do it gradually -- going from whole to 2 percent to 1

percent to non-fat -- it becomes easier.

" I believe that our taste preferences are influenced by habit and that

habits can be changed, " Salbe concluded.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2004.

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org