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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Measuring Oral Fatty Acid Thresholds, Fat Perception, Fatty Food Liking, and Papillae Density in Humans

Measuring Oral Fatty Acid Thresholds, Fat Perception, Fatty Food Liking, and Papillae Density in Humans

Published on: June 4, 2014

Trans fatty acids and weight gain.

A K Thompson¹, A-M Minihane, C M Williams

¹Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK. a.k.thompson@reading.ac.uk

International Journal of Obesity (2005)

|July 21, 2010

Summary

Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are linked to weight gain. Limited evidence suggests TFAs may cause small weight increases, potentially more than other fats, but more research is needed.

Area of Science:

Nutrition Science
Obesity Research
Dietary Fat Metabolism

Background:

Rising global obesity rates necessitate investigation into contributing dietary factors.
Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are a specific dietary component of interest.
Understanding the role of TFAs in weight gain is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

To review existing evidence on the association between trans fatty acid intake and weight gain.
To evaluate the consistency and strength of evidence from human and animal studies.
To identify gaps in mechanistic understanding of TFA's effects on adipogenesis.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of epidemiological studies.
Analysis of data from a primate model study on TFA consumption.

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Measuring Oral Fatty Acid Thresholds, Fat Perception, Fatty Food Liking, and Papillae Density in Humans

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Comparison of adipogenic effects of TFAs versus cis monounsaturated fatty acids.

Main Results:

Limited but consistent evidence from epidemiological studies suggests a positive association between TFA intake and weight gain.
A primate model indicates that increased TFA consumption may lead to a small additional weight gain.
Primate study data suggest TFAs might have a greater adipogenic effect compared to cis monounsaturated fatty acids.

Conclusions:

There is a plausible link between increased trans fatty acid consumption and modest weight gain.
Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms behind the potential differential adipogenic effects of TFAs.
Current mechanistic data are insufficient to fully explain metabolic differences between TFAs and other fatty acids.