Why do we like fatty foods so much?

Hey! I was hoping that was you. Couldn’t be anyone else, could it? Got a topic for you today that’s near and dear to out hearts… so fill your coffee mug and let’s chew the fat! Speaking of fat, do you ever wonder why we love them? We all do. Bacon double cheese burger… pizza with everything, devil’s food cake with chocolate ice cream, and the occasional Bavarian cream doughnut, eh! Oh, and let’s wash it down with a Caramel Mocca Latte! But why? Why do fatty foods taste so good? (I’m not going to mention Christmas pudding with brandy sauce because my sister may be listening!)

Fats help you enjoy the taste of food because they’re able to dissolve and concentrate flavor and odor chemicals. These chemicals are released into the air by the heat of cooking. That’s why you can taste sizzling bacon even before you eat it – because some of the flavor molecules are already in your nose and mouth.

Fats, also called lipid, play a vital role in promoting healthy cell function, maintaining body temperature and maintaining healthy skin and hair. Fats also serve as energy stores for the body, containing 9 kcal per gram of fat which is double the amount of calorie you can get from proteins or carbohydrates (4 kcal/gm). It is also essential for brain development and production of cholesterol in the liver.

Fats also help distribute salts and other seasonings throughout foods – such as salad dressings – so that they make more contact with your tongue and give a deeper flavor.

And fatty foods have a special mouth feel. Chocolate, custard, and peanut butter all melt at body temperature. When chocolate melts in your mouth, it creates a smooth, full, coating sensation that most people agree is pleasant.

Finally, our bodies absorb fatty foods at a slower pace than proteins or carbohydrates. Fat makes us feel full. And when we feel full, our brains trigger the release of hormones that also make us feel relaxed and content. The close tie between fat, flavor, fullness, and happiness might be an evolutionary adaptation. Because fat provides more calories by weight than either sugars or proteins, in the past fats might have helped protect the body against starvation and exhaustion. 

However, when fat level in the body exceeds the normal level, it is associated with health complications such as obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease.

As the T-shirt says, “Thin may be in but Fat’s where it’s at! Oh, and in case you don’t recognize the second picture, it’s a Grilled Cheese Birthday Cake!

Bob

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