Abstract
This cross-sectional study determined whether 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) taster status moderates the relationship between food consumption patterns and body composition in children. Children were recruited (n = 342, 50% female, 8–10 y) from across New Zealand. Using a food frequency questionnaire, these food consumption patterns were derived: Processed Foods, Fruit and Vegetables, and Breakfast Foods. Body composition variables included: body fat (%), fat mass (kg), fat mass index (FMI, kg/m2), body mass index (kg/m2) and waist to height ratio (W:Ht). Following adjustment for confounders, Processed Foods were positively associated with %fat (p = 0.015), fat mass (p = 0.004) and FMI (p = 0.016). Taste test strips determined PROP status. For Breakfast Foods, there were small negative associations with all body composition variables (p ≤ 0.001 to 0.037). The population sample was also stratified by PROP taster status. For the non-tasters, there were small to moderate negative associations between Breakfast Foods and each body composition variable (p = 0.003–0.045) except W:Ht (p = 0.112), and these relationships were stronger for girls compared to boys. For the tasters, there were small to moderate positive associations between Processed Foods with %fat (p = 0.030), fat mass (p ≤ 0.001) and FMI (p = 0.014). In conclusion, sensitivity to bitterness may moderate the relationship between food consumption patterns and body composition in children.
Highlights
IntroductionNew Zealand as the third worst country for obesity [1]
Similar to the global trend, the prevalence of obesity in New Zealand continues to rise, with a recent report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) rankingNew Zealand as the third worst country for obesity [1]
Breakfast Foods were inversely associated with body composition for the tasters, for females
Summary
New Zealand as the third worst country for obesity [1]. More concerning are the high obesity rates among New Zealand children (aged 0–14 years), with 20% overweight and a further 12.4% obese in. Contributory factors to this obesity ‘epidemic’ include decreased levels of physical activity and an increase in adverse eating behaviors [3], including the consumption of energy-dense high-fat foods and low fruit and vegetable consumption [4]. Food preference has previously been shown to be impacted by individual variation in human olfactory and taste receptors [5]. While humans can experience a vast arrange of food flavors, these flavors are triggered by only a few distinct taste modalities: sweet, salty, sour, umami (savory), and bitter [6,7]. Bitterness, which has Nutrients 2019, 11, 2037; doi:10.3390/nu11092037 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
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