In the following article, Julian Omidi discusses the recently published findings that obese children are less sensitive to taste than their non-obese peers. Julian Omidi is a philanthropist, and co-founder of the charity No More Poverty with his brother Dr. Michael Omidi, MD.
Obesity rates in children in the United States are astronomical. Incidences of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and high blood pressure, once only seen in the middle aged, are now commonly diagnosed in young children. While there are many individual factors that contribute to this epidemic, the overwhelming reason for this unfortunate trend is the cultural lack of activity accompanied by the easy availability of sugary, salty and fatty processed and fast foods. It is believed that these foods are what experts call “hyperpalatable,”[1] which means that the sugar, fat and salt components trigger a release of the chemical dopamine to the brain, which can cause a type of euphoria, making moderation of consumption extremely difficult. As a person becomes used to eating large quantities of food indiscriminately, food choices often become whatever has triggered the hyperpalatable reaction in the past—choices that are often quite unhealthy.
Now, a study recently published in the BMJ Archives of Diseases in Childhood[2] found that obese adolescents are actually less capable of perceiving taste differences than thin peers, which may lead to increasing the volume of food consumed in order to achieve the desired emotional affect, and to choosing foods that are more intensely flavored with salt and sugar.
The study was performed on children and adolescents ranging in age from 6 to 18. 99 subjects were in the obese category (having a body mass index above the 97th percentile) and 94 subjects that were in the normal weight category (a body mass index below the 90th percentile). The participants were given strips of paper infused with different flavors--salty, sour, savory, sweet and bitter—in different concentrations. Obese children were consistently less able to detect the flavor profiles of salty, savory, and bitter than the normal subjects and had trouble identifying the correct concentrations of flavor in the sweet examples.
The non-obese participants also differed in their obese counterparts in that the younger subjects were less accurate in their taste perceptions than the older ones, but it was found that the phenomenon was not the same for the obese participants; the ability to detect flavors did not sharpen with age[3].
The observational study could not identify exactly why obese children scored lower than their non-obese peers, but it is believed by the conductors of the study that the hormone leptin may contribute to sensitivity of taste buds as well as body weight. The results of this study might help in the fight against obesity.
To learn more about obesity and the problems it has presented in the United States you can visit the blog of my brother Dr. Michael Omidi.
[1] Eng, Monica: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Inspire Fanatic Loyalty Among Kids October 11, 2012 Chicagotribune.com http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-11/news/chi-20yearold-snack-with-high-levels-of-salt-and-fat-inspires-fanatic-loyalty-among-kids-20121011_1_ashley-gearhardt-snacks-addiction/2
[2] Overberg, Johanna; Hummel, Thomas; Krude, Heiko; Wiegand, Susanna: Differences in Taste Sensitivity Between Obese and Non-Obese Children and Adolescents September 20, 2012 bmj.com http://adc.bmj.com/content/early/2012/08/20/archdischild-2011-301189.abstract
[3] Bakalar, Nicholas: Obese Children Less Sensitive to Taste October 1, 2012 Nytimes.com http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/obese-children-less-sensitive-to-taste/?ref=nutrition
Obesity rates in children in the United States are astronomical. Incidences of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and high blood pressure, once only seen in the middle aged, are now commonly diagnosed in young children. While there are many individual factors that contribute to this epidemic, the overwhelming reason for this unfortunate trend is the cultural lack of activity accompanied by the easy availability of sugary, salty and fatty processed and fast foods. It is believed that these foods are what experts call “hyperpalatable,”[1] which means that the sugar, fat and salt components trigger a release of the chemical dopamine to the brain, which can cause a type of euphoria, making moderation of consumption extremely difficult. As a person becomes used to eating large quantities of food indiscriminately, food choices often become whatever has triggered the hyperpalatable reaction in the past—choices that are often quite unhealthy.
Now, a study recently published in the BMJ Archives of Diseases in Childhood[2] found that obese adolescents are actually less capable of perceiving taste differences than thin peers, which may lead to increasing the volume of food consumed in order to achieve the desired emotional affect, and to choosing foods that are more intensely flavored with salt and sugar.
The study was performed on children and adolescents ranging in age from 6 to 18. 99 subjects were in the obese category (having a body mass index above the 97th percentile) and 94 subjects that were in the normal weight category (a body mass index below the 90th percentile). The participants were given strips of paper infused with different flavors--salty, sour, savory, sweet and bitter—in different concentrations. Obese children were consistently less able to detect the flavor profiles of salty, savory, and bitter than the normal subjects and had trouble identifying the correct concentrations of flavor in the sweet examples.
The non-obese participants also differed in their obese counterparts in that the younger subjects were less accurate in their taste perceptions than the older ones, but it was found that the phenomenon was not the same for the obese participants; the ability to detect flavors did not sharpen with age[3].
The observational study could not identify exactly why obese children scored lower than their non-obese peers, but it is believed by the conductors of the study that the hormone leptin may contribute to sensitivity of taste buds as well as body weight. The results of this study might help in the fight against obesity.
To learn more about obesity and the problems it has presented in the United States you can visit the blog of my brother Dr. Michael Omidi.
[1] Eng, Monica: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Inspire Fanatic Loyalty Among Kids October 11, 2012 Chicagotribune.com http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-11/news/chi-20yearold-snack-with-high-levels-of-salt-and-fat-inspires-fanatic-loyalty-among-kids-20121011_1_ashley-gearhardt-snacks-addiction/2
[2] Overberg, Johanna; Hummel, Thomas; Krude, Heiko; Wiegand, Susanna: Differences in Taste Sensitivity Between Obese and Non-Obese Children and Adolescents September 20, 2012 bmj.com http://adc.bmj.com/content/early/2012/08/20/archdischild-2011-301189.abstract
[3] Bakalar, Nicholas: Obese Children Less Sensitive to Taste October 1, 2012 Nytimes.com http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/obese-children-less-sensitive-to-taste/?ref=nutrition
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