National Harbor, Md. (July 27, 2026) — Ever wonder why some people crave sweets while others can take them or leave them? Preliminary findings from a new study suggest that people who carry certain genetic variants associated with a preference for sweet or fatty tastes not only tend to eat more of these foods but also have a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes as a result.
The study is one of the largest genome-wide association studies for taste preferences performed to date. It was conducted using the UK Biobank, a database of about half a million people in the UK who provided genetic information and completed questionnaires about their food preferences, diet and health.
“These findings suggest that susceptibility to overeating hyperpalatable foods, such as sugary drinks, fried foods and potato chips, is partially rooted in our genes,” said Julie Gervis, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. “This could help explain why some people struggle more than others to make healthy food choices and could help open the door to more personalized approaches for preventing diet-related chronic disease risk.”
Gervis will present the findings at NUTRITION 2026 , the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.
Genome-wide association studies scan DNA from many people to look for genetic differences linked to specific traits, behaviors or diseases. However, since it can be very challenging to measure taste preferences in large groups of people, the researchers devised a unique approach to capture taste preferences that combined information from food preference questionnaires with sensory databases that described how foods taste, including characteristics such as sweetness, saltiness and fattiness.
“This approach vastly improves our ability to study the genetic underpinnings of taste preferences in large groups of people and to understand the roles of these inherited predispositions in complex human behaviors and metabolic diseases,” said Gervis.
Gervis and her team began by deriving taste preference traits and running large-scale genetic studies in a subset of the UK Biobank database to identify variants associated with each taste preference — sweet, salty and fatty. They then used this information to create a single genetic score capturing cumulative genetic predispositions to prefer each taste.
Next, they used a separate subset of the UK Biobank to test whether people with a higher genetic predisposition for sweet preference, for example, actually consumed more sweet foods, such as desserts and sugary drinks and had a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Throughout the analyses, the researchers were also careful to account for factors like age, sex, genetic ancestry and total energy intake to help isolate the specific effect of taste preference genetics.
The preliminary results showed that people with a higher genetic predisposition to prefer sweet taste do eat more sweet foods — about 7 g more per day, on average. Although this may be small, it can add up over time.
The researchers also found that higher genetic scores for sweet and fat preference were linked to higher body weight and a modestly higher risk of type 2 diabetes, which were largely explained by the effect of these scores on hyperpalatable food consumption.
“Our findings suggest that genes underlying taste preferences may play an important role in metabolic disease risk by influencing diet habits,” said Gervis. “This kind of information could help identify people at higher risk for diet-related diseases earlier on, so they can get targeted support.”
The findings could also help inform dietary interventions that are tailored to a person's taste preferences. For example, if someone has a strong genetic predisposition to prefer sweet taste, strategies that specifically address this, such as behavioral tools or spice usage, might work better than a one-size-fits-all diet plan.
The researchers are now working to replicate their findings in other large groups of people and are examining how a person’s genetic predispositions for other taste preferences, such as bitter, sour and umami, affect diet quality and metabolic disease risk factors.
In a related project, the researchers are also examining whether genetic predispositions for taste preferences play a role in responses to medications for metabolic diseases such as GLP-1 agonists. This line of work is based on emerging evidence that some people taking these medications experience major changes in their sense of taste, which may impact their food preferences, eating behavior and quality of life. The researchers hope this project will provide insight into who may be more likely to benefit from GLP-1 medications to help advance broader efforts in precision medicine for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Gervis will present this research at 3:30 – 3:42 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 27, during the Dietary and Environmental Factors Associated with Gene Expression Session in the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center ( abstract ; presentation details ).
Please note that abstracts presented at NUTRITION 2026 were evaluated and selected by a committee of experts but have not generally undergone the same peer review process required for publication in a scientific journal. As such, the findings presented should be considered preliminary until a peer-reviewed publication is available.
About NUTRITION 2026
NUTRITION 2026 is the flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition and the premier educational event for nutritional professionals around the globe. NUTRITION brings together lab scientists, practicing clinicians, population health researchers and community intervention investigators to identify solutions to today’s greatest nutrition challenges. The meeting also attracts rising leaders in the field, including undergraduate, graduate and medical students. NUTRITION 2026 will be held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. https://nutrition.org/meeting/ #Nutrition2026
About the American Society for Nutrition (ASN)
ASN is the preeminent professional organization for nutrition research scientists and clinicians around the world. Founded in 1928, the society brings together the top nutrition researchers, medical practitioners, policy makers and industry leaders to advance knowledge and application of nutrition. ASN publishes four peer-reviewed journals and provides education and professional development opportunities to advance nutrition research, practice, and education. Since 2018, the American Society for Nutrition has presented NUTRITION, the leading global annual meeting for nutrition professionals. http://www.nutrition.org
Find more news briefs from NUTRITION 2026 at: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsroom/nutrition2026 .
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