Taste Changes With Bariatric Surgery



Status:Recruiting
Healthy:No
Age Range:21 - 70
Updated:3/14/2019
Start Date:May 24, 2018
End Date:May 4, 2020
Contact:Elizabeth J Parks, PhD
Email:parksej@missouri.edu
Phone:(573) 882-5864

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It is commonly believed that a link exists between BMI and taste perception. One group of
researchers observed that women who are obese experience reduced taste sensitivity when
compared to normal-weight controls. Others have compared taste sensitivity between lean and
obese subjects and found no significant differences. The inconsistencies in these studies
demonstrate how much variation in taste sensitivity is possible when different factors are
applied in research. Throughout several studies, one element remains constant - bariatric
surgery causes appetite aversions. These changes in appetite and food preference likely have
a large influence on the overall magnitude of post-surgical weight loss. Although many
studies have investigated the changes in taste preference after bariatric surgery, few, if
any, have focused on changes in sweet taste perception.

The overall goal of the present project is to determine how future bariatric surgery will
affect the taste for sweet liquids. Taste perception will be assessed before surgery
(pre-operative, pre-op) and after bariatric surgery, at approximately 1 month. Taste studies
will be conducted with solutions prepared freshly before each test using sucrose dissolved in
distilled water. Six concentrations of sucrose (table sugar) will be tasted in random order,
with the most concentrated solution being roughly the sweetness of soda. The subject is
blinded to the concentrations. It is hypothesized that there will be no significant
difference in taste perception when pre-op and post-op values are compared. However, the
investigators hypothesize that taste preference will identify solutions with lower
concentrations post-op.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Women who plan to undergo bariatric surgery.

- Age: 21-70y.

- Non-smokers (at least 3 months post smoking cessation).

- Non-diabetic or prediabetic

Exclusion Criteria:

- Subject on a medication known to affect taste perception: Antibiotics, thyroid
medications, psychotropic, neurological, and cardiac medications.

- Inability to understand the test instructions.

- Subject has already undergone bariatric surgery
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Columbia, Missouri 65212
Phone: 573-882-5864
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Columbia, Missouri 65211
(573) 882-2121
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