Changing the Preference for Fat in Foods

One of the best ways to ensure compliance with a low‐fat diet is to reduce the preference for fat in foods. A recent study suggested that the hedonic response to fat in selected foods declined during 12 weeks on a low‐fat diet when sensory exposure to fats was absent. No change in fat preference was seen when fat mimetics were part of the low‐fat diet, suggesting the preference for fat may depend on continued exposure to the properties of fat. However, despite the persistence of the downward shift in preference for fat in foods reported by the low‐fat diet group with no discretionary fat, this intake did not lead to a reduction in fat intake during a 3‐month follow‐up period.