Preliminary findings from a new study presented on July 27 suggest that people with certain genetic variants associated with a preference for sweet or fatty tastes tend to consume more of these foods and face an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The research, one of the largest genome-wide association studies on taste preferences to date, utilized data from the UK Biobank, which includes genetic information and food preference questionnaires from about half a million participants in the United Kingdom.
Gervis will present the study's findings at NUTRITION 2026, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland. The researchers used genome-wide association studies to identify genetic differences linked to taste preferences by combining responses from food preference questionnaires with sensory databases describing food characteristics such as sweetness, saltiness, and fattiness.
"This approach vastly improves our ability to study the genetic underpinnings of taste preferences in large groups of people and to understand the roles of these inherited predispositions in complex human behaviors and metabolic diseases," said Gervis.
The team derived taste preference traits and conducted large-scale genetic analyses within a subset of UK Biobank participants. They then created single genetic scores reflecting cumulative predispositions for sweet, salty, or fatty tastes. Using another subset from the database, they examined whether individuals with higher scores actually consumed more corresponding foods—such as desserts or sugary drinks—and whether they had higher risks for obesity or type 2 diabetes. Analyses accounted for factors like age, sex, ancestry, and total energy intake.
Preliminary results indicated that individuals genetically predisposed toward sweet tastes consumed about seven grams more sweet foods per day on average—a difference that could accumulate over time. Higher genetic scores for both sweet and fat preferences were linked not only to greater body weight but also to modestly elevated risks for type 2 diabetes; these associations were largely explained by increased consumption of hyperpalatable foods.
"Our findings suggest that genes underlying taste preferences may play an important role in metabolic disease risk by influencing diet habits," said Gervis. She added that this information could help identify those at higher risk earlier so targeted support can be provided. The research team is now working on replicating their results in other populations and investigating how genetics related to other tastes—such as bitter or umami—affect diet quality and disease risk factors.
