How sensory experiences shape our eating behaviour: evidence for individual taste differences affecting weight management.

Abstract

The modern surge in obesity can be seen as evidence that food choice remains an important area of study. Sensory science has also provided a necessary contribution to this area. This review will describe the latest scientific understanding on flavour perception and how metabolism, weight management, exercise and food design might affect this perception. Taste research has shifted from sensory testing paradigms to a receptor level scientific understanding of gustation with the discovery of the heterodimeric taste receptor type 1 proteins (T1R) for sweet and umami taste, and the family of taste receptor type 2 (T2R) for the detection of bitterness. TA2R38 has been widely investigated to understand how genetic diversity in bitter taste might influence weight management. Currently there is no substantial evidence that variations in bitter taste affects overall weight status of subjects. However, gustation is highlighted as the key sensory determinant of eating behaviour where there is some evidence that chronic consumption of foods rich in salt and sugar result in a reduced sensitivity to these tastes. Although a strong link between taste sensitivity and BMI appears inconclusive. Human gustatory response to fatty acids is still a matter of debate although dysfunction of this taste maybe seen in cases of obesity. However, gustation is not experienced in isolation and there is an interplay between food structure, oral processing, texture and taste. Therefore, to fully understand the contribution of sensory evaluation in eating behaviour, dynamic sensory techniques need to be applied where facial electromyography has potential.