SENSORY AND HEDONIC JUDGMENTS OF COMMON FOODS BY LEAN CONSUMERS AND CONSUMERS WITH OBESITY

Objective: To establish differences between lean subjects and subjects with obesity in subjective reports of predominant taste and texture a ttributes of common foods, and the relationships of these qualities an d foods with overall liking. Research Methods and Procedures: Twenty l ean (body mass index: 20 to 25 kg/m(2)) nondieting healthy adults and 23 (body mass index: greater than or equal to 30 kg/m(2)) nondieting h ealthy adults with obesity assigned ratings for pleasantness and predo minant sensory attributes to 50 common foods in 14 food groups using a questionnaire. They completed the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire . Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance. Results: T here were no significant group differences between pleasantness scores overall; however, lean subjects assigned higher scores to fruits and vegetables, to foods self-classified as sweet and as salty/savory, and to foods grouped in the highest and lowest quintiles of percentage fo od energy from fat. There were no group differences in free-choice tex ture descriptors applied to foods, but correspondence analysis reveale d that subjects with obesity associated coarse, slippery, tough, and f atty textures with ''dislike extremely,'' whereas lean subjects associ ated grainy, moist, doughy, and fibrous texture with ''like extremely. '' Analyses reduced texture terms to 39 key descriptors for use in sub sequent work. Groups did not significantly differ in reported external or restrained eating behaviors, but subjects with obesity scored sign ificantly higher for reported emotional eating. Discussion: Difference s in preferences for listed common foods exist between weight status g roups according to taste, food group, and texture. Consumers can make textural descriptions of foods that could be used to assess sensory an d hedonic qualities of actual food choices.