Presentation Details
| Don Tucker Finalist: Sweetness preference and eating behaviors in habitual and non-habitual consumers of low-calorie sweetened products. Stephanie Okoye1, Yanina Pepino1, 2, 3. 1Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.2Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.3Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, IL, USA |
Abstract
Low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) are commonly consumed as alternatives to sugar; however, their long-term influence on sweet taste perception and eating behaviors remains unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated whether regular LCS intake is related to sweetness preference, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), food cravings, and eating behavior patterns. Healthy adults between 18 and 64 years of age were classified as habitual LCS consumers (≥5 LCS-containing products per week; n = 44) or non-habitual consumers (<1 LCS-containing product per week; n = 45). Sweetness preferences across varying concentrations of sucrose and sucralose were evaluated using the Monell two-series forced-choice paired-comparison procedure. Food cravings, eating behaviors, and beverage intake were assessed using validated instruments, including the Food Craving Inventory, Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and Beverage Intake Questionnaire. No significant group differences were observed in preferred sweetness levels for sucrose (p = 0.9) or sucralose (p = 0.7), frequency of food cravings (p = 0.7), or daily SSB consumption (p = 0.3). In contrast, habitual LCS consumers reported higher levels of emotional, external, and restrained eating (p = 0.04), an association that persisted after adjusting for body weight. Collectively, these results indicate that habitual LCS consumption neither replaces SSB intake nor alters sweetness preference. Rather, higher LCS use may reflect a broader pattern of preference for sweet-tasting foods and eating behaviors linked to overeating.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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