Science explains why we love high-fat foods like cheese

By Sean Dowling, Buzz60

Some people really love cheese, even the smelly varieties.

The fact that we reach for cheese, potent smelling or not, knowing it's packed with saturated fat is something scientists were curious about.

According to a new study, the reason some love high-fat foods like cheese might be because of their DNA.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge found that those with a gene linked to obesity, called MC4R, have a predisposition for high-fat foods, but less of a preference for high-sugar foods.

They studied the food choices of 54 participants, some lean, some obese, and some with MC4R. They offered the participants an all-you-can-eat buffet that served up a popular type of curry and dessert.

What participants didn't know is that the curry dishes had been manipulated to look and taste the same, but the fat content varied between 20, 40 and 60 percent fat. The desserts also looked and tasted the same, but had varying sugar levels.

Recipes featuring cheese:

Researchers found that the 14 people with MC4R unknowingly ate a significantly higher portion of the high-fat curry than the lean participants, 95% more. These participants also mostly skipped out on the high-sugar desserts.

Researchers report the findings are important for tackling obesity.

The bright side is that the next time you order a large pizza, you can just blame it on your DNA.

Advertisement