"We know from our previous studies that non-tasters tend to be heavier," Tepper said. "But laboratories haven't been able to demonstrate a difference in calorie or fat intake. Part of the issue is that it's been self-reported, which tends to be biased. So we designed this study to bring people into the lab, where we can effectively measure what they're eating."

In Tepper's sensory evaluation lab at Rutgers, participants are exposed to a buffet-style eating situation. Tepper tracks how many calories the participants consume, as well as the types of food they choose. She also looks at whether non-tasters consume more added fats (i.e., salad dressings, mayonnaise) than medium- and super-tasters.

"I submitted this work to the American Heart Association because I want to understand the factors that influence body weight and obesity in women, since these are major risk factors for heart disease," Tepper said. "If we had a relatively simple method to identify people who are at risk for obesity, that would be a major advance."

Source: Rutgers University