Obesity robs the tongue of taste buds

We know obesity has many consequences, but you weren’t expecting this one.  It robs your tongue of taste buds.  Taste preferences influence the food you eat.  Obese people often taste flavors with less intensity than people who are lean.  The thought is that heavier people make up for their weakened taste buds by eating more and eating higher calorie foods.  Not only do your taste buds get weak, but the more obese you are, the more taste buds you lose due to the chronic inflammation trigged by fat.  Taste buds die and aren’t replaced until weight is lost.  If your family is impacted by obesity, be prepared to counteract the loss of taste buds with foods that are savory, but not packed with calories and fat.  Help them to understand the role of taste in their fight against obesity.  It’s the best you can do.

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