Weight Loss Surgery May Change Sense of Taste and Smell

April 25, 2014

Weight loss surgery patients reported a change in their sense of taste and smell, according to a recent study conducted with 103 British patients. The patients all underwent Roux-en-Y (RNY) gastric bypass surgery.

Forty-two percent of patients reported a change in their sense of smell after surgery. Seventy-three percent reported a change in their sense of taste. In addition to change in taste, patients reported development of a dislike of food they previously enjoyed while others reported a new aversion to some food.

Researchers also found that patients who developed a change in taste and smell, or aversion to foods lost an average of eighteen more pounds than those patients who reported no changes to their senses. However, the study does not indicate a direct cause and effect, the results could be due to other factors.

Did you experience changes to your senses after surgery?

Source: Preidt, R. (2014, April 18). Weight-loss surgery alters sense of taste and smell, study finds. Retrieved from CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/weight-loss-surgery-alters-sense-of-taste-and-smell-study-finds/