Taste Aversions in Man

A survey of 696 subjects revealed that taste aversions may be acquired by a special kind of learning that has previously been demonstrated clearly only in animals. Gastrointestinal illness was associated with acquisition of aversions in 87 percent of the subjects. One pairing of food and illness was sufficient to produce aversions that lasted for many years. Onset of aversions was most common between ages 6 and 12, when the prevalence rate reached 30 percent; it then fell steadily to a low of 6 percent after age 60. The authors believe that a better understanding of taste aversions may help improve conditioned aversion procedures in the treatment of alcoholism and obesity.