The Influence of Body Mass Index on Sweet Taste Preference in Women

Associations between sweet taste preferences and eating behaviour variables may exist with differences in taste preferences evident with varying body mass index (BMI). However, the strength of influence BMI exerts remains unknown, therefore the aim was to examine the influence of BMI on sweet taste preference in women. Three areas were examined, 1) associations between preferences for sweet taste and sweet/fat combinations and eating behaviours, 2) the differences in sweet taste preferences between overweight and lean women, and 3) whether BMI serves as a moderator for the associations between sweet taste preferences and eating behaviour variables. 86 overweight or lean women provided 7day 24hour recall food diaries before attending a laboratory assessment day. Participants completed the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire (LFPQ) before consuming an ad libitum meal consisting of sweet and savoury foods. Immediately following consumption participants completed VAS ratings of palatability and taste intensity in response to the test meal foods. Sweet taste preferences were associated with an elevated sweet food intake in an ad libitum meal and preferences for sweet/fat combinations with habitual dietary fat intake. There were no between group differences on any measure. However, there were differences between groups in a small number of associations between taste preferences and eating behaviour variables which were moderated by BMI. The present thesis concluded that overweight and lean women did not differ in their sweet taste preferences or eating behaviours. Although, differences in the associations between taste preference and eating behaviours do exist between overweight and lean women. Future work may wish to consider using direct measures of adiposity within the moderation model. These findings build on previous literature through examination of different components of sweet taste preference and investigates the extent to which BMI moderates differences in the associations with food intake.