Food sensory perception and liking is different in obese and normal weight individuals

Fairly poor data have been reported on the influence of variables which are deeply-rooted in human mind and determine food habits. Recent evidence has suggested that factors related to sensory perception and the multisensory integration of sensory stimuli could be involved in the development of obesity. Objective: the present study was aimed at investigating whether food cross-modalities interactions and liking are different in obese (OB) and normal weight (NW). Methods: we examined whether the addiction of butter aroma to a model custard dessert differently affects the perception of sensory properties (sweetness, vanilla and butter flavors, and creaminess) and liking in NW and OB. 46 OB (26 women and 20 men; BMI: 37.52 ± 5.07 kg/m2) and 45 NW (21 women and 24 men; BMI: 22.03 ± 2.14 kg/m2) attended two sessions. In the first session, the liking of three custard samples with increasing concentration of butter aroma was evaluated. In the second session, the intensity of sensory properties of samples was assessed. Results: the addition of butter aroma was perceived in both NW and OB but the perception of sweetness and vanilla flavor was greater in OB, particularly in women, than in NW. In NW,both sexes gave significant lower liking scores to the sample with the highest concentration of butter aroma compared to the unmodified sample. The opposite was observed in OB where liking scores increased in both sexes with the addition of butter aroma that signals energy dense products though with similar energy content. OB and not NW associated butter aroma with significantly higher creaminess. Mixed models analysis revealed that the interaction gender x BMI x samples had a significant effect on perceived sweetness (F=10.58; p<0.0001), vanilla flavor (F=4.27; p<0.0001) and liking (F=9.80; p<0.0001). Conclusions: OB, particularly women, seem to appreciate fatty flavors more than NW. To deepen the knowledge on the relationship between nutritional status and cross-modal interactions could have important implications for the development of food products/diets with reduced calories but still satisfactory. Results could pave the way for new strategies to tackle the obesity epidemic.