Taste responses of normal-weight, obese, and formerly obese individuals for sucrose and fat containing stimuli were examined using a mathematical modelling technique known as the Response Surface Method. The subjects accurately rated intensities of sweetness, fatness, and creaminess of 20 different mixtures of milk, cream, and sugar, and no mixture phenomena or inter-group differences were observed. In contrast, hedonic taste responses varied across subject groups, and were affected differentially by the sucrose and lipid content of the stimuli. Normal-weight subjects optimally preferred stimuli containing 20% lipid and less than 10% sucrose. Obese subjects preferred high-fat stimuli (greater than 34% lipid) that contained less than 5% sucrose, while formerly obese subjects showed enhanced responsiveness to both sugar and fat. Hedonic responsiveness as measured by the optimal sugar/fat ratio was negatively correlated with the degree of overweight (body mass index: weight/height). We hypothesize that sensory preferences for dietary sugars and fats aren determined by body-weight status and may affect the patterns of food consumption.

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Twenty-five subjects evaluated the sweetness, creaminess and fat content of liquid and solid dairy products containing between 0.1 and 52 g fat/100 g and sweetened with 0-20% sucrose weight/weight. Liquid stimuli included skim milk, whole milk, half and half, and heavy cream, while the solids included cottage cheese and cream cheese, blended and spread "jelly-roll" fashion on slices of white bread. The subjects' ratings of stimulus sweetness, creaminess, and fat content differed sharply between liquids and solids, and the assessment of fat content of solid foods appeared to be impaired. In contrast, acceptability ratings for both sets of stimuli were not substantially different: the subjects optimally preferred equivalent levels of sugar in both liquids and solids, but selected higher fat levels in solid than in liquid foods. Sensory preferences for fat in liquid stimuli may not always be indicative of preferences for fat in solid foods.

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Approximately 6 in 10 Americans report regularly using some type of dietary supplement, and approximately 1 in 6 Americans reports using herbal remedies on a regular basis. The diversity of manufacturers, manufacturing processes, and quality control issues are enormous. As with all plant products, herbal products are complex mixtures of a variety of chemical constituents with considerable variation in the growth, harvesting, and storage conditions, including different extraction procedures. Furthermore, not only is there variation in batches, but also the potential for contamination. In addition, herbal products have the potential to interact with pharmaceuticals. These problems have led to consumer and physician confusion about the use of herbal products and have not been satisfactorily resolved, because the Food and Drug Administration has only very recently started to fulfill its mission of consumer protection in the realm of dietary supplements. More importantly, we provide a working plan for addressing this important issue.