title: A Study on Prevalence of Phenyl Thiocarbamide (PTC) Taste Blindness Among Obese Individuals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Taste blindness to the phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) is an inherited trait that is shown to influence our food and dietary preferences which in turn influence our body weight. Obesity is a global epidemic issue known to be on rise among the developing countries. Relating taste perception to obesity, the present study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taste blindness among obese individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and fifty individuals of age group 20-40 y were recruited from the local community for the present cross sectional study. Anthropometric measurements were taken and BMI was calculated. Subjects were classified as underweight, normal, overweight and obese based on their BMI. Normal, overweight and obese individuals were then asked to taste the commercially available PTC test papers and classified as non tasters and tasters of PTC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 350 individuals, mean age group of 30±6.02 y, based on their BMI they were divided into 4 groups, Group A-underweight (16%), Group B-normal (35%), Group C-overweight (28%) and Group D-obese (21%) individuals. In group B, 28% were non tasters of PTC and 65% were tasters. In group C, 82% were non tasters and 13% were tasters and in Group D, 81% were non tasters and 19% were tasters of PTC. The PTC non taster phenotype individuals showed higher BMI as compared with the tasters' phenotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exploring the novel connections between taste perception and obesity would help us to gain a control over the global epidemic-Obesity, which is the crux factor for various other health problems. The study advocates the usage of PTC tasting as a reliable indicator of weight gain susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Deepika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Veluswami
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sree Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: B Ambigai
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Meena
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Sree Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Latha
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Sree Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: I Gayathri
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Fathima
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Soundariya
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: K Senthamil
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Selvi
keywords: Diet; Obesity; Taste perception