Preferences for Sweet and Fatty Taste in Children and Their Mothers in Association with Weight Status.

Grzegorz Sobek,Katarzyna Dereń,Edyta Łuszczki,Aneta Weres,Joanna Baran,Artur Mazur,Mariusz Dąbrowski

doi:10.3390/ijerph17020538

Grzegorz Sobek, Katarzyna Dereń + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17020538

Copy DOI

Abstract

Strong preferences for sweet and fat tastes (characters) are associated with the consumption of foods high in calories. The taste preferences, especially the sweet and fat tastes (characters), might be one of the factors predisposing children to become overweight and/or develop obesity. The aim of the study is to assess taste preferences in children and their mothers in association with their weight status. In the study, 150 children aged 8–15 were included; among them, 75 had overweight and/or obesity, and 150 mothers of whom 69 were overweight and/or obese. Body composition estimates were obtained using a bioelectrical impedance analysis-body height was measured using a stadiometerSeca 213. Sensory tests were carried out using apple juice of various sugar content and crackers of various fat content. Results show that children prefer a sweet taste more often than their mothers (50.0% vs. 35.3%, p = 0.009). In the group of children who preferred the high-sweet taste, there were twice as many obese children when compared to the group who preferred the low-sweet taste. Similar relationships applied to mothers. Preferences for fat taste (character) among mothers increased the risk of obesity among their children (39% vs. 20%; p = 0.039). Taste preferences, especially a sweet taste preference, seem to be one of the important factors determining overweight and obesity in children and adults. The fat taste(character) preferences in mothers correlate with the overweight and/or obesity of their children, while such preferences among children were not significantly different irrespective of body weight status.

Highlights

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults around the world is a critical public health problem [1,2,3,4]
Real food products were used to assess taste preferences: apple juice and crackers, which, as some researchers emphasize [34], better reflects the children’s everyday behavior. This is all the more justified as the preferences for sugar content measured in laboratory conditions coincided with the preferences of sweet products such as cereals, beverages [35], or puddings [36]
It was noticed that children and adolescents who were classified in the group with overweight and/or obesity preferred a sweet taste because they were more likely to choose apple juice with higher sugar content

Summary

Introduction

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults around the world is a critical public health problem [1,2,3,4]. Eating habits and food preferences belong to those environmental factors that significantly increase the risk of overweight and/or obesity [5]. Studies in the last decade documented the important role of perception of fat taste (character) in animal and human behavior [9,10,11,12,13]. The ability to perceive flavors begins in the uterus through the amniotic fluid as well as breast milk, along with the development and early functioning of the taste and olfactory system [14]. Tastepreferences are created in early childhood [15]

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion