Does good-tasting food directly cause weight gain?

A new study from the Monell Center in Philadelphia has found that desirable food in and of itself does not lead to weight gain. The study used mouse models in order to research the effects of good tasting food on overeating. Previous studies have shown that mice will show an affinity for tasty human foods such as chocolate chip cookies and crisps. However, this study aimed to examine whether the taste of food actually drives overeating. The researchers designed a series of experiments that assessed what types of food the mice liked; they then placed different groups of mice on a variety of diets. They found that the mice that ate the sweet and oily foods were no heavier than those that ate the plain foods.

These results were repeated over a period of six weeks, however food choice and overeating are complex mechanisms, many factors come in to play and therefore these results must be understood as being part of a much larger area of research. The study authors are hopeful that the results show that it is possible to create foods that are both healthy and good-tasting; however this research must be furthered to get to that point.