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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 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

Body fat, sweetness sensitivity, and preference: determining the relationship.

Laurel Ettinger¹, Lisa Duizer, Tristaca Caldwell

¹Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.

Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research : a Publication of Dietitians of Canada = Revue Canadienne De La Pratique Et De La Recherche En Dietetique : Une Publication Des Dietetistes Du Canada

|March 9, 2012

Summary

Body fat percentage and body mass index (BMI) equally predict sweetness preference. Overweight individuals, by either measure, show a greater liking for sweeter foods.

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Last Updated: May 24, 2026

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

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Area of Science:

Human Nutrition
Sensory Science
Obesity Research

Background:

Body mass index (BMI) is a common metric for assessing body size, but it may not accurately reflect body fat percentage.
Understanding the relationship between body composition and sensory perception, particularly taste preferences, is crucial for nutritional and health research.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare the efficacy of body fat percentage versus BMI in determining the relationship between body size and sweetness perception.
To investigate how different body composition measures influence sweetness preference and liking.

Main Methods:

Seventy-two women were categorized into normal weight or overweight groups based on BMI and body fat percentage (determined by skinfolds).
Sucrose detection thresholds were measured.
Liking for sweetness and perceived sweetness were assessed using custard samples with varying sucrose concentrations.

Main Results:

Individuals classified as overweight by both BMI and body fat percentage exhibited higher sucrose detection thresholds.
Overweight groups, by both measures, demonstrated a significantly increased liking for sweetness as sucrose concentration rose.
Body fat percentage and BMI were equally effective in predicting these differences in sweetness preference.

Conclusions:

Body fat percentage is as effective as BMI in predicting sweetness preference.
Future research should explore body fat measures, like waist circumference, as potential predictive tools for sweetness preference.