title: Assessment of fat taste in individuals with and without anorexia nervosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Avoidance of dietary fat is a highly characteristic eating behavior of individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN). To date, no study has determined whether these individuals are better able to perceive the fat content of foods than individuals without AN. The goal of this study was to compare blinded taste ratings of fat-free, low fat, and regular cream cheese in patients with AN and in normal controls (NC).
  
  
  METHODS
  AN (n = 25) and control (NC; n = 25) participants were presented with a series of nine cream cheese samples of three differing fat contents and asked to taste and rate each sample from very low to very high fat.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated measures ANOVA found no significant main effect of fat content and no interaction between fat content and diagnosis; however, a significant three-way interaction between fat content, diagnosis, and trial was observed. Post hoc analysis revealed a significant fat content by trial interaction within the AN group, suggesting a significant trial effect for the fat-free samples only with improving ability to detect fat-free samples over repeated trials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study suggests that individuals with AN do not have a markedly greater ability to taste fat than NC, and that; therefore, fat avoidance is likely primarily based on cognitive factors.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; The New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Schebendach
authors.forename: Diane A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Laurel E S
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Devlin
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.forename: B Timothy
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D055697:Taste Perception; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats
keywords: anorexia nervosa; eating behavior; fat taste