Effects of Sweet-Liking on Body Composition Depend on Age and Lifestyle: A Challenge to the Simple Sweet-Liking-Obesity Hypothesis.

摘要: Taste hedonics drive food choices, and choices affect weight maintenance. Despite this, the idea that hyper-palatability of sweet foods is linked to obesity development has been controversial for decades. Here, we investigate whether interpersonal differences in sweet-liking are related body composition. Healthy adults aged 18–34 years from UK (n = 148) US 126) completed laboratory-based sensory tests (sucrose taste tests) anthropometric measures (body mass index; BMI, fat; fat-free mass; FFM, waist/hips circumferences). Habitual beverage intake lifestyle behavioural characteristics were also assessed. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, classified participants into three phenotypes: liker (SL), disliker (SD), inverted-U (liking moderate sweetness). Being a SD was higher fat among those younger than 21 old, while older group, SLs had highest BMI FFM; age groups reflected different levels exposure obesogenic environment. FFM emerged as better predictor fat. In sweetened partially explained phenotype–anthropometry associations. Collectively, our findings implicate underlying energy needs an explanation variation sweet-liking; moderating roles environment require additional consideration.