Snack choices linked to BMI

New research has uncovered a link between the foods we snack on throughout the day and our body mass index (BMI).

Led by the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, researchers discovered people with a high BMI eat more ‘sweet’ and ‘sweet and fat’ snacks and fewer ‘savoury’ snacks than people with a lower BMI.

Senior author Dr Mei Peng, of the Department of Food Science, says people with a high BMI, in general, show lowered sensitivity to the sweet taste, which might potentially lead to a greater intake of sweet food.

“We have repeatedly observed that individual taste sensitivities are linked to BMI,” Dr Peng says.

“People with a higher BMI tend to show slightly, yet statistically meaningful, lower sensitivities to taste, especially sweetness.

“This new paper shows that such difference in taste sensitivities might play an important mediating role to one’s snack choices and consumption – providing an explanation to the observed higher consumption of ‘sweet’ and ‘sweet and fat’ snacks among people with relatively higher bodyweight.”

Published in the highly-ranked journal Obesity, researchers aimed to test for the link between snack food and BMI and explain the role of taste sensitivity in snack choices.

Ninety-eight males underwent sensory sensitivity tests to sweetness, saltiness, umami and lipid perception. They also recorded their food intake for four days.

Another 327 participants then categorised the snacks as either sweet, savoury, sweet and savoury, sweet and fat, savoury and fat, or other.

People with a high BMI, on average, preferred snacks that were associated with ‘sweet’ and ‘sweet and fat’ taste.

Dr Peng says the results are somewhat surprising.

“While we anticipated to see some differences in snack preferences and choices, the strong link between taste sensitivities to sweetness and lipid perception – fatty taste – was unexpected.”

This confirms snack choices can be linked to increased weight and may be used to develop intervention strategies that promote healthier eating habits.

“As we become more familiar with the concept of mindful eating and its potential benefits, our findings introduce a new sensory angle to consider.

“Raising awareness about how our taste perception can lead to the overconsumption of high-calorie snacks may help individuals make more informed dietary choices.”

Dr Peng says future research should focus on how taste sensitivities and preferences are developed.

“Influencing children’s eating behaviour and food preferences is an important direction to pursue, as it holds the potential to bring about life-long benefits.”

Taste sensitivities mediate differential snack choices across BMI groups: a study with New Zealand young male individuals

Sashie Abeywickrema, Rachel Ginieis, Mei Peng.

Obesity