A genetic study reveals the relationship of genes to food preferences and weight

Preliminary results of a large genetic study revealed that people who carry genetic variations that make them more inclined to sweet or fatty tastes actually tend to eat larger quantities of these foods. This genetic predisposition is also associated with an increase in body weight and a modest increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

These results offer a possible explanation for a question that has long puzzled researchers: Why are some people able to easily resist a piece of candy, while others find themselves more attracted to sweets, sugary drinks, and fatty foods? The study suggests that the answer may be partly written in our genes.

The study is one of the largest studies to date that have investigated the genetic basis of taste preferences, and it relied on data from the UK Biobank, which includes genetic and health information and data on the eating habits of about half a million people in the United Kingdom.

The research team - led by Julie Jervis, a researcher at the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States - used an innovative method to study the relationship between genes and food preferences. Jervis presented the results at the “NUTRITION 2026” conference at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, which was held from July 25 to 28, 2026 in “National Harbor” in Maryland, near Washington, DC. The study was published in the journal (The American Society for Nutrition) (ASN).

Preliminary results showed that people who had a greater genetic tendency to prefer sweet tastes ate an average of about 7 additional grams of sweet foods per day, including candy and sugary drinks. Most importantly, a high genetic predisposition to prefer sweet or fatty tastes was also associated with increased body weight and a modest increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The researchers stress that the results do not mean that a person is genetically predisposed to love sweets, or that he will inevitably become obese or diabetic. Diet and metabolic health are influenced by a wide range of factors, including environment, eating habits, physical activity, sleep, health status, and social factors, as well as genetics.

Julie Jervis says the findings suggest that the tendency to overeat highly palatable foods may be partly rooted in genes, which may help explain why some people have more difficulty than others sticking to healthy food choices.

One of the most important results of this research may be that it opens the door to a more personalized approach to nutrition. Instead of providing one-size-fits-all nutritional advice, future plans may benefit from knowing a person's dietary preferences and genetic predisposition. A person who has a strong genetic tendency toward sweet tastes, for example, may benefit more from strategies that specifically target the desire for sweets, such as the use of alternative spices and flavors, or behavioral techniques that help control the desire for food.

The researchers are currently working to verify the results in other populations, and are also studying whether genetic predispositions to prefer other tastes - such as bitter, acidic, and umami - are associated with diet quality or the risk of metabolic diseases.