Obesity is a major health burden in children and adolescents. One influential factor is the choice of food, which is partly determined by gustatory perception. Cross-sectional studies have provided evidence that gustatory function is reduced in patients with obesity compared to individuals with normal weight. This longitudinal study was aimed at investigating potential effects of a multimodal lifestyle intervention program on gustatory function in pediatric patients with obesity.
Methods:
Gustatory perception of five different taste qualities (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami) was assessed in n = 102 patients (age 6–18) with obesity (BMI >97th percentile). Testing was performed before (T0) and after (T1) a residential multimodal weight reduction program between June and December 2015 using well-established taste strips.
Results:
Overall, identification performance increased between T0 and T1. Patients were most successful at identifying the taste quality sweet at both time points and reached higher scores at identifying umami and bitter at T1 compared to T0. Moreover, patients rated the highest concentration of sweet significantly sweeter at T1 compared to T0.
Conclusion:
Gustatory function can improve after a multimodal lifestyle intervention program in pediatric patients with obesity. This may lead to a modified choice of food, possibly resulting in a long-term therapeutic success. Therefore, these findings underline the importance of professional nutritional counseling as part of treatment for obesity.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC). Worldwide trends in body-mass index, underweight, overweight, and obesity from 1975 to 2016: A pooled analysis of 2416 population-based measurement studies in 128.9 million children, adolescents, and adults. Lancet, 2017; 390:2627–2642.
LoperHB, La SalaM, DotsonC, et al.Taste perception, associated hormonal modulation, and nutrient intake. Nutr Rev, 2015; 73:83–91.
4.
PodzimekS, DuskovaM, BroukalZ, et al.The evolution of taste and perinatal programming of taste preferences. Physiol Res, 2018; 67(Suppl 3):S421–S429.
5.
NehringI, KostkaT, von KriesR, et al.Impacts of in utero and early infant taste experiences on later taste acceptance: A systematic review. J Nutr, 2015; 145:1271–1279.
6.
GravinaSA, YepGL, KhanM. Human biology of taste. Ann Saudi Med, 2013; 33:217–222.
7.
McCaugheySA. The taste of sugars. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2008; 32:1024–1043.
8.
DrewnowskiA. Taste preferences and food intake. Annu Rev Nutr, 1997; 17:237–253.
9.
MargolskeeRF. The molecular biology of taste transduction. Bioessays, 1993; 15:645–650.
10.
CygankiewiczAI, MaslowskaA, KrajewskaWM. Molecular basis of taste sense: Involvement of GPCR receptors. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2014; 54:771–780.
11.
IwataS, YoshidaR, NinomiyaY. Taste transductions in taste receptor cells: Basic tastes and moreover. Curr Pharm Des, 2014; 20:2684–2692.
12.
LimanER, ZhangYV, MontellC. Peripheral coding of taste. Neuron, 2014; 81:984–1000.
13.
ReedDR, TanakaT, McDanielAH. Diverse tastes: Genetics of sweet and bitter perception. Physiol Behav, 2006; 88:215–226.
14.
ChaudhariN, RoperSD. The cell biology of taste. J Cell Biol, 2010; 190:285–296.
15.
KimUK, DraynaD. Genetics of individual differences in bitter taste perception: Lessons from the PTC gene. Clin Genet, 2005; 67:275–280.
16.
ShigemuraN, ShirosakiS, SanematsuK, et al.Genetic and molecular basis of individual differences in human umami taste perception. PLoS One, 2009; 4:e6717.
17.
ChamounE, MutchDM, Allen-VercoeE, et al.A review of the associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms in taste receptors, eating behaviors, and health. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2018; 58:194–207.
18.
RohdeK, SchamarekI, BluherM. Consequences of obesity on the sense of taste: Taste buds as treatment targets?. Diabetes Metab J, 2020; 44:509–528.
19.
FildesA, van JaarsveldCH, LlewellynCH, et al.Nature and nurture in children's food preferences. Am J Clin Nutr, 2014; 99:911–917.
20.
CheruelF, JarlierM, Sancho-GarnierH. Effect of cigarette smoke on gustatory sensitivity, evaluation of the deficit and of the recovery time-course after smoking cessation. Tob Induc Dis, 2017; 15:15.
21.
MethvenL, AllenVJ, WithersCA, et al.Ageing and taste. Proc Nutr Soc, 2012; 71:556–565.
22.
DonaldsonLF, BennettL, BaicS, et al.Taste and weight: Is there a link?. Am J Clin Nutr, 2009; 90:800S–803S.
23.
KellerKL, TepperBJ. Inherited taste sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil in diet and body weight in children. Obes Res, 2004; 12:904–912.
24.
PasquetP, FrelutML, SimmenB, et al.Taste perception in massively obese and in non-obese adolescents. Int J Pediatr Obes, 2007; 2:242–248.
25.
OverbergJ, HummelT, KrudeH, et al.Differences in taste sensitivity between obese and non-obese children and adolescents. Arch Dis Child, 2012; 97:1048–1052.
26.
SauerH, OhlaK, DammannD, et al.Changes in gustatory function and taste preference following weight loss. J Pediatr, 2017; 182:120–126.
27.
AlexyU, SchaeferA, SailerO, et al.Sensory preferences and discrimination ability of children before and after an obesity intervention. Int J Pediatr Obes, 2010; 5:116–119.
28.
Kromeyer-HauschildK, WabitschM, KunzeD, et al.Perzentile für den body-mass-index für das Kindes- und Jugendalter unter Heranziehung verschiedener deutscher Stichproben. Monatsschrift Kinderheilkunde, 2001; 149:807–818.
29.
ColeTJ. The LMS method for constructing normalized growth standards. Eur J Clin Nutr, 1990; 44:45–60.
30.
MuellerC, KallertS, RennerB, et al.Quantitative assessment of gustatory function in a clinical context using impregnated “taste strips.”. Rhinology, 2003; 41:2–6.
31.
AnlikerJA, BartoshukL, FerrisAM, et al.Children's food preferences and genetic sensitivity to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). Am J Clin Nutr, 1991; 54:316–320.
32.
BauAM, ErnertA, KrudeH, et al.Hormonal regulatory mechanisms in obese children and adolescents after previous weight reduction with a lifestyle intervention: Maintain—paediatric part—a RCT from 2009–2015. BMC Obes, 2016; 3:29.
33.
KerstingM, AlexyU, ClausenK. Using the concept of food based dietary guidelines to develop an optimized mixed diet (OMD) for German children and adolescents. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 2005; 40:301–308.
34.
VenturaAK, MennellaJA. Innate and learned preferences for sweet taste during childhood. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 2011; 14:379–384.
35.
DrewnowskiA, MennellaJA, JohnsonSL, et al.Sweetness and food preference. J Nutr, 2012; 142:1142S–8S.
36.
LinTK, TeymourianY, TursiniMS. The effect of sugar and processed food imports on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 172 countries. Global Health, 2018; 14:35.
37.
AhneG, ErrasA, HummelT, et al.Assessment of gustatory function by means of tasting tablets. Laryngoscope, 2000; 110:1396–1401.
38.
ArcherN, ShawJ, Cochet-BrochM, et al.Obesity is associated with altered gene expression in human tastebuds. Int J Obes (Lond), 2019; 43:1475–1484.
39.
PepinoMY, FinkbeinerS, BeauchampGK, et al.Obese women have lower monosodium glutamate taste sensitivity and prefer higher concentrations than do normal-weight women. Obesity (Silver Spring), 2010; 18:959–965.
40.
HettingerTP, GentJF, MarksLE, et al.A confusion matrix for the study of taste perception. Percept Psychophys, 1999; 61:1510–1521.
41.
MaceOJ, ListerN, MorganE, et al.An energy supply network of nutrient absorption coordinated by calcium and T1R taste receptors in rat small intestine. J Physiol, 2009; 587:195–210.
42.
KaufmanA, ChooE, KohA, et al.Inflammation arising from obesity reduces taste bud abundance and inhibits renewal. PLoS Biol, 2018; 16:e2001959.
43.
MartinB, MaudsleyS, WhiteCM, et al.Hormones in the naso-oropharynx: Endocrine modulation of taste and smell. Trends Endocrinol Metab, 2009; 20:163–170.
NakamuraY, SanematsuK, OhtaR, et al.Diurnal variation of human sweet taste recognition thresholds is correlated with plasma leptin levels. Diabetes, 2008; 57:2661–2665.
46.
DepoortereI. Taste receptors of the gut: Emerging roles in health and disease. Gut, 2014; 63:179–190.
47.
ZukerCS. Food for the brain. Cell, 2015; 161:9–11.
48.
GauthierAC, GuimaraesRF, NamiranianK, et al.Effect of physical exercise on taste perceptions: A systematic review. Nutrients, 2020; 12:2741.
49.
FeeneyEL, LeacyL, O'KellyM, et al.Sweet and umami taste perception differs with habitual exercise in males. Nutrients, 2019; 11:155.
50.
NarukawaM, UeH, MoritaK, et al.Change in taste sensitivity to sucrose due to physical fatigue. Food Sci Technol Res, 2009; 15:195–198.
51.
HorioT. Effect of physical exercise on human preference for solutions of various sweet substances. Percept Mot Skills, 2004; 99:1061–1070.
52.
UmabikiM, TsuzakiK, KotaniK, et al.The improvement of sweet taste sensitivity with decrease in serum leptin levels during weight loss in obese females. Tohoku J Exp Med, 2010; 220:267–271.
53.
WisePM, NattressL, FlammerLJ, et al.Reduced dietary intake of simple sugars alters perceived sweet taste intensity but not perceived pleasantness. Am J Clin Nutr, 2016; 103:50–60.
54.
Garcia-BailoB, ToguriC, EnyKM, et al.Genetic variation in taste and its influence on food selection. OMICS, 2009; 13:69–80.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
