A recent study has published findings that may find a
correlation between the sensitivity of a child's taste buds and
their risk of obesity. German researchers have reported findings
that obese children have less sensitive taste buds than their
normal weight counterparts. The researchers studied 193 healthy
children whose ages ranged from 6-18. For the study researchers
placed taste strips that represented five different kinds of
taste including sweet, sour, salty, umami (savory) and bitter.
There were four different levels of intensity plus two strips
that had no taste. Obese kids had a significantly lower score of
12.6 compared to a score of 14 from the normal weight kids.
Which means the obese kids had a harder time distinguishing
between tests. Here's what the report said: "For example, the
hormone leptin is associated with hunger, fat storage and the
ability to taste sweet things. Obese people may be less
sensitive to its daily cycles. Also, if the level of insulin
circulating in the blood stream remains