Obesity Abstracts

Background: Evidence-based studies have consistently reported differences in food choices, preferences, and intake in adults based on taste genotype, which may have a potential impact on health. However, the corresponding evidence on adolescents gets less attention. Understanding more about influences on food choice could support healthier diets and weight status in adolescents.

Objective: Our aim is to identify and review evidence investigating the impact of taste genotype on phenotype, including taste perception and sensitivity on food choices and dietary intake among adolescents.

Method: Systematic searches were conducted to identify English language articles testing the impact of taste genotypes on food choices, preference, and intake on healthy adolescents aged 13–18 years old. The search included all available study designs published between 1/1/2000 to 1/1/2019. The main outcome of this systematic review is the impact of taste genotype on food choices and preference, and dietary intake while the secondary outcome is the impact of taste perception on nutritional status and BMI. The review is still in progress.

Results: Approximately 30 studies met our inclusion criteria. The studies included both cross-sectional and case control. About 11 studies measured taste genotype while the majority carried out taste phenotype measures. Participants’ age, in general, was 3+ years old, with only a few studies were focusing precisely on the adolescent age range of 13–17 years old.

Conclusion: At this stage of our systematic review, studies reported lower intakes of some types of vegetables with bitter taste among ‘taster’ participants with a higher preference of sweet food. In terms of weight and BMI, people who were ‘tasters’ of bitter compounds tended to have higher weight and BMI than non-tasters.

Keywords: Taste, sweet, sour, genetics, genotype, phenotype, adolescents, food choices, food intakes

Disclosure: No conflict of interest.