Food preferences in obese adolescents

Abstract

Dietary interventions are commonly used to treat adolescent obesity. Given the potential contribution of food and taste preferences in the aetiology of obesity in children and adolescents, very little is known about their respective roles. The primary aim of this study is to compare food and taste preferences between healthy weight and obese adolescents using a novel electronic system to measure food and taste preference (E-prime v1.1.4). Participants were forty-five obese (thirty-four female) and nineteen (twelve female) healthy weight adolescents, aged between 10-18years. Obese individuals had a body mass index (BMI) >90thcentile. Healthy weight controls had BMI 5th-85thcentile. The obese group had significantly higher weight and weight z-score (p > 0.001), BMI and BMI z-score (p > 0.001), waist circumference (p > 0.001) and waist:height ratio (p > 0.001). Food preferences were measured after an overnight fast using a computer-based questionnaire designed to assess explicit liking and implicit wanting using four categories of food stimuli: high fat savoury (HFSA); low fat savoury (LFSA); high fat sweet (HFSW); low fat sweet (LFSW). Explicit liking was significantly greater for sweet compared with savoury foods in both healthy weight (p = 0.007) and obese adolescents (p < 0.001). Obese adolescents also demonstrated a preference for sweet compared with savoury foods reflected in implicit wanting (p = 0.023) and relative preference (p = 0.014) scores. There were no significant differences in relative preference or implicit wanting in the healthy weight group. In conclusion, food preferences differ between obese and lean adolescents. This knowledge may help inform recommendations for dietary weight management in adolescents which may improve adherence.L715164142014-07-05 <br />