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Taste preferences and body weight change in Japanese adults: the JPHC Study

International Journal of Obesity volume 33, pages 1191–1197 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

Limited data are available with regard to longitudinal changes in body weight by food taste preference. Here, we examined the associations between taste preferences and weight change in adults for a large-scale cohort study in Japan.

Design:

Longitudinal analysis of data from a population-based cohort study, the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (JPHC Study).

Subjects:

A total of 29 103 middle-aged men and women, who participated in a JPHC Study and returned questionnaires on lifestyle and diet, including taste preferences, at both baseline and the 10th year of follow-up.

Measurements:

We assessed the relations of preferences for rich and heavy taste and a sweet taste to weight changes between the age of 20 years and baseline and those during the 10-year follow-up period.

Results:

Preferences for rich and heavy taste and for sweet taste were significantly positively associated with weight increases between the age of 20 years and baseline (P for trend <0.001); the fully adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) comparing the ‘like’ versus ‘dislike’ groups with a preference for rich and heavy taste were 1.45 (1.31–1.24) for men and 1.28 (1.16–1.41) for women, whereas that for a sweet taste preference was 1.22 (1.09–1.36) for women. As regards weight change during the 10 years of follow-up, subjects who liked the sweet taste and those who neither liked nor disliked this taste experienced a significantly greater increase than those who disliked it in both men and women. There was no such difference for rich and heavy taste.

Conclusion:

These results suggest that food taste preferences may be an important predictor of weight changes in adults. Taste preferences need to be considered when counseling patients to achieve weight control.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Kyoko Kirii and Dr Akiko Nanri for their useful advice. This study was supported by a grant-in-aid for Cancer Research (19shi-2) and a Health Sciences Research Grant (Research on Comprehensive Research on Cardiovascular Diseases H19-016) from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Y Matsushita, T Mizoue, Y Takahashi, A Isogawa, M Kato, M Inoue, M Noda and S Tsugane: See Appendix

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and International Health, Research Institute, International Medical Center of Japan, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan,

    Y Matsushita & T Mizoue

  2. Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Medicine, International Medical Center of Japan, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan,

    Y Takahashi & M Noda

  3. Diabetes Care Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Mitsui Memorial Hospital, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan,

    A Isogawa

  4. Japan Foundation for the Promotion of International Medical Research Cooperation, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan,

    M Kato

  5. Epidemiology and Prevention Division, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan,

    M Inoue & S Tsugane

Authors
  1. Y Matsushita
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  2. T Mizoue
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  3. Y Takahashi
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  4. A Isogawa
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  5. M Kato
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  6. M Inoue
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  7. M Noda
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  8. S Tsugane
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Consortia

for the JPHC Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M Noda.

Appendix

Appendix

Members of the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (JPHC Study, principal investigator: S Tsugane) Group are: S Tsugane, M Inoue, T Sobue and T Hanaoka, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan; J Ogata, S Baba, T Mannami, A Okayama and Y Kokubo, National Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan; K Miyakawa, F Saito, A Koizumi, Y Sano, I Hashimoto, T Ikuta and Y Tanaba, Iwate Prefectural Ninohe Public Health Center, Iwate, Japan; Y Miyajima, N Suzuki, S Nagasawa, Y Furusugi and N Nagai, Akita Prefectural Yokote Public Health Center, Akita, Japan; H Sanada, Y Hatayama, F Kobayashi, H Uchino, Y Shirai, T Kondo, R Sasaki, Y Watanabe, Y Miyagawa and Y Kobayashi, Nagano Prefectural Saku Public Health Center, Nagano, Japan; Y Kishimoto, E Takara, T Fukuyama, M Kinjo, M Irei and H Sakiyama, Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Public Health Center, Okinawa, Japan; K Imoto, H Yazawa, T Seo, A Seiko, F Ito, F Shoji and R Saito, Katsushika Public Health Center, Tokyo, Japan; A Murata, K Minato, K Motegi and T Fujieda, Ibaraki Prefectural Mito Public Health Center, Ibaraki, Japan; K Matsui, T Abe, M Katagiri and M Suzuki, Niigata Prefectural Kashiwazaki and Nagaoka Public Health Center, Niigata, Japan; M Doi, A Terao, Y Ishikawa and T Tagami, Kochi Prefectural Chuo-higashi Public Health Center, Kochi, Japan; H Sueta, H Doi, M Urata, N Okamoto and F Ide, Nagasaki Prefectural Kamigoto Public Health Center, Nagasaki, Japan; H Sakiyama, N Onga, H Takaesu and M Uehara, Okinawa Prefectural Miyako Public Health Center, Okinawa, Japan; F Horii, I Asano, H Yamaguchi, K Aoki, S Maruyama, M Ichii and M Takano, Osaka Prefectural Suita Public Health Center, Osaka, Japan; Y Tsubono, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan; K Suzuki, Research Institute for Brain and Blood Vessels Akita, Akita, Japan; Y Honda, K Yamagishi, S Sakurai and N Tsuchiya, Tsukuba University, Ibaraki, Japan; M Kabuto, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Ibaraki, Japan; M Yamaguchi, Y Matsumura, S Sasaki and S Watanabe, National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan; M Akabane, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan; T Kadowaki, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan; M Noda and T Mizoue, International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo, Japan; Y Kawaguchi, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan; Y Takashima and M Yoshida, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan; K Nakamura, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan; S Matsushima and S Natsukawa, Saku General Hospital, Nagano, Japan; H Shimizu, Sakihae Institute, Gifu, Japan; H Sugimura, Hamamatsu University, Shizuoka, Japan; S Tominaga, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Aichi, Japan; H Iso, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; M Iida, W Ajiki and A Ioka, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease, Osaka, Japan; S Sato, Chiba Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Chiba, Japan; E Maruyama, Kobe University, Hyogo, Japan; M Konishi, K Okada and I Saito, Ehime University, Ehime, Japan; N Yasuda, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan; and S Kono, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.

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Matsushita, Y., Mizoue, T., Takahashi, Y. et al. Taste preferences and body weight change in Japanese adults: the JPHC Study. Int J Obes 33, 1191–1197 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.153

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