(PCM) Taste sensitivity varies between individuals, which is why some people love hot and spicy foods, and others can’t stand it. But there’s more to taste sensitivity than just heat tolerance; there may be a link between the sensitivity of a child’s taste buds and their risk of obesity, according to new research.
A German study of nearly 200 normal and obese children, ages 6 to 18, found that obese children have less sensitive taste buds than kids of normal weight, which may cause them to eat more. Study researchers placed taste strips on the children’s tongues that represented five different kinds of taste – sweet, sour, salty, umami (savory), and bitter – at four different levels of intensity.
They found that obese children had a significantly lower score, meaning they had a harder time identifying the correct taste qualities, especially salty, bitter, and umami. Obese children also rated three out of the four intensity levels lower than kids of normal weight. Thin and older females had the best ability of identifying taste qualities.
The question: Does a weak sense of taste lead to overeating, or does excess weight somehow diminish the taste buds’ abilities?
Robin Dando, a professor in the food and science department at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., tells ABC News:
“It could be a cause and an effect at the same time. Obese people may taste differently, but also their taste ability is contributing to their obesity.”
The report adds:
The hormone leptin is associated with hunger, fat storage and the ability to taste sweet things. Obese people may be less sensitive to its daily cycles. Also, if the level of insulin circulating in the blood stream remains consistently elevated for long periods of time, as it does in many obese people, it could weaken the cells’ receptors to the hormone, which in turn could mute taste sensitivity. (ABC News)
Experts suggest that dieters who have a hard time losing weight from overeating should try concentrating on eating more mindfully, instead of just counting calories. Take time to enjoy your food – each and every bite!
More:
Predicted Obesity Rates in 2030: 39 States to Pass 50 Percent, Many to Triple
Childhood Obesity Linked to Poorer Math Performance
Altrendo Images / Getty Images
