Eating has always been one of the
simple joys and pleasures in life that has been there since the dawn of mankind.
Beginning from the tough uncooked meat and vegetables our large-jawed ancestors
had to chew on every day, we now have such a wide variety of different cuisines
and unique food dishes that we can fill our stomachs with. Although we may form
preferences for certain tastes or types of food, all the world’s cuisines are
an all-you-can-eat buffet that can tickle our taste buds in many different ways.
Just so long as you are adventurous enough to try, that is.
Mmmm, exotic food...
Nowadays though, many people take
this for granted and choose to deprive themselves of the simple pleasure of
eating. In our fast-paced and competitive world, many people choose to forego
eating breakfast, which is often said to be the most important meal of the day.
Also, in a society that places a major emphasis on one’s body and figure, food
is generally viewed as the principal obstacle to overcome to attain their
desired weight loss, hourglass figure, and six-pack abs.
It is a common assumption that
people who are more sensitive to taste, or supertasters, are more likely to
have higher food consumption than regular tasters or non-tasters (“taste blind”).
The most likely line of reasoning is that, because the taste sensation they
experience is a lot fuller, richer, and more intense, they are more likely to
eat a lot more than the typical, non-supertaster individual. But apparently,
the way we are able to taste and enjoy the flavor of our food is not a
hindrance to the model-esque body we long and desire for.
In a 2007 study conducted by
Sitton and Sullivan, they studied the relationship of one’s sensory acuity to
their tendency to binge eat. Acuity for the sense of taste was measured in terms
of the number of fungiform papillae on each participant’s tongue, while
olfactory acuity was measured using the University of Pennsylvania Smell
Intensity Test (UPSIT). Values were also obtained for the participants’ body
mass index (BMI) and from the Binge Eating Scale.
Just look at the size of those papillae!
Contrary to the belief that
having a richer taste experience leads to eat more, they found that those with
higher sensitivity for experiencing flavor actually had the lowest BMIs among
the participants. It is believed that, because the supertasters are able to
experience more intense flavors than non-tasters, they become more quickly
satiated. In addition, because their threshold for being able to detect and
recognize tastes are lower, supertasters may also be able to observe a high-fat
diet that leads to a quicker feeling of satiety. In being distinguish the high-fat
food from the low-fat food, the supertasters can ultimately consume less
calories than the non-tasters. Although increased sensory acuity should also
predict supertasters avoiding certain bitter foods, no difference was found
between their food preferences as compared to non-tasters.
High-fat goodness!
Although there is a solid logical
link that connects food to higher weight, apparently, this logic isn’t as sound
as originally believed to be. Factors such as genetics and amount of physical activity can
influence one’s build or body frame, but then, one’s ability to experience
flavor may also spell the difference between a beer-belly and a well-defined
abdominal area.
This is what some people get from all-hotdog diets.
Life is unfair.
Sitton, S.C., & Sullivan, A.F.
(2007). Sensory acuity and binge eating. American
Journal of Psychological Research, 3(1), 29-33.
Images from:
http://www.eatsleepgeek.com/
http://www.popularwealth.com/
http://jenruhman.blogspot.com/
http://groundframe.com/
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