[Taste perception in fasting overweight patients]

In 20 patients with a heavy overweight in the course of a fasting cure at 5 different moments gustation tests were carried out: in satiated state, in the acute fasting state and during the building-up phase. It could be proved that the thresholds in the acute fasting state are significantly lower than in the satiated state. Also in the building-up phase this tendency is pointed at. An efferent influence on the receptors evoked by hunger is discussed as cause. A direct relation between the change of the gustation sensitivity and individual metabolic parameters did, however, not develop under the experimental conditions given.