Three real-world diet tests show that taste preferences arent so easy to change

Key Takeaways

• Eating more or less sweet foods for six months didnt change peoples liking for sweetness.

• No changes were seen in energy intake, body weight, or health markers like glucose and cholesterol.

• Once diets ended, people naturally returned to their usual sweet-eating habits.

Have you ever wondered whether eating less sugar would tame your taste buds or make them crave sweetness even more?

A brand-new nutrition study aimed to answer just that.

Over six months, real people followed diets ranging from very sweet to barely sweet but heres the kicker: regardless of what they ate, their love for sweetness didnt budge.

There were no magic tricks, no fad diet revelations just a straightforward test to see if sweet foods shape our sweet tooth.

"Most studies examining the effects of repeated exposure to sweet taste on the liking, or preference, for sweetness have been short-term, covering periods up to one day," researcher Kees de Graaf, Ph.D. said in a news release.

"Without consistent data on the longer-term effects, the basic question of whether or not sweetness preferences are modifiable has been unanswered."

The study

To dig into this, researchers broke participants (around 180 in total) into three groups. One group got mostly sweet items, another got fewer sweet things, and a third got a mixed bag.

These foods and drinks were delivered every two weeks to cover about half of each persons daily consumption. Think chocolate, jam, and sweetened drinks on one side, and ham, cheese, popcorn, sparkling water on the other. Each of the options was selected based on sugar-intensity data from hundreds of common Dutch foods.

The researchers measured peoples sweet taste preferences before the test, twice during the six months, right after, and then again one and four months later.

Alongside taste, they tracked energy and macronutrients, body weight and composition, and health markers like glucose, insulin, and cholesterol. Diets were carefully balanced (same carbs, fat, protein) and participants were randomized by age, sex, and weight to keep things fair.

The results

The study revealed that switching up the sweetness didnt shift peoples liking for it not up, not down.

Importantly, key factors like energy intake, cravings, and body weight remained unchanged. Health markers linked to diabetes and heart disease stayed steady, too.

At the one- and four-month follow-ups, participants naturally settled back into their usual sucrose-loving (or not) habits.

"This is one of the first studies to measure and adjust sweetness across the whole diet within a realistic range of what people actually consume," said Dr. de Graaf. "This matters because some people avoid sweet-tasting foods, believing that regular exposure will increase their preference for sweetness but our results show that's not the case."

Experts say up to 30% of high-blood-pressure cases could be slipping through the cracks

• Cuff-based blood pressure monitors (the 'gold standard') can underestimate systolic pressure, meaning many cases of high blood pressure may go undetected.

• A new physical model using realistic artery behavior reveals that low downstream pressure delays artery reopening during measurement, causing the error.

• Straightforward tweaks, such as raising the arm before measuring, have potential to improve accuracy without needing new or expensive devices.

Youve probably had your blood pressure taken with a cuff around your arm inflate, listen, repeat. Its the go-to method doctors trust, known as the auscultatory technique.

But a surprising discovery from researchers at the University of Cambridge shows this routine approach may miss up to 30% of high-blood-pressure cases. Thats not just a statistic its a wake-up call for more accurate health checks.

The auscultatory method is the gold standard, but it overestimates diastolic pressure, while systolic pressure is underestimated, co-author Kate Bassil from Cambridges Department of Engineering said in a news release.

We have a good understanding of why diastolic pressure is overestimated, but why systolic pressure is underestimated has been a bit of a mystery.

How did the researchers figure this out?

Scientists set out to better understand why readings are off specifically, why they tend to underestimate systolic pressure and overestimate diastolic pressure. Earlier study models used simple rubber tubes, which didnt mimic how real arteries collapse under cuff pressure. That flaw masked a key issue.

The researchers built a simplified physical model that better replicated real artery behavior specifically tubes that flatten when deflated and fully close when the cuff is inflated.

This setup allowed them to isolate what happens below the cuff. They discovered that once blood flow is cut off, pressure downstream drops very low this keeps the artery closed for longer as the cuff deflates, thus delaying its reopening and skewing the measurement.

Results: What does that mean and how do we fix it?

Firstly, this newfound mechanism likely explains why standard cuff readings miss up to 30% of cases of systolic hypertension.

But theres a bright side: the fix could be simple. For instance, raising the arm before measurement might create a more predictable downstream pressure, reducing the underestimation.

You might not even need new devices, just changing how the measurement is done could make it more accurate, researcher Anurag Agarwal said in the news release.

Looking ahead, if new devices are developed, they could incorporate factors like a persons age, BMI, or tissue traits to account for downstream pressure. But for now, small protocol tweaks may already make a real difference.

The channel started out as a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC. Both have since bailed.

MSNBC is dropping the NBC from its name as it splits from NBC News.

The cable network will rebrand later this year as MS NOW short for My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.

Parent company Comcast is spinning off its cable channels into a new entity called Versant, forcing a broader rebrand.

MSNBC is cutting ties with NBC News and its longtime moniker, announcing that later this year the cable channel will relaunch under a new name: MS NOW.

The rebranding comes as parent company Comcast prepares to spin off most of its cable channels into a separate company, Versant. The transition, expected to take effect later this year, marks one of the most significant shake-ups in the networks nearly 30-year history.

MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler described the name change as a chance to establish independence after decades of brand confusion. This new branding underscores our mission: to serve as a destination for breaking news and best-in-class opinion journalism, all rooted in accurate and reported facts, she wrote in a staff memo.

The new identity drops the iconic NBC peacock, which Comcast is retaining for its broadcast network and other properties. Versant CEO Mark Lazarus confirmed that logos across the spinoffs channels including MSNBC, CNBC, and Golf Channel will be redesigned to remove the peacock imagery. CNBC will retain its name, however, due to its legacy as the Consumer News and Business Channel and international licensing agreements.

MSNBCs origins date back to 1996, when Microsoft partnered with NBC to create a hybrid tech-news venture. Although Microsoft sold its stake years ago, the MSNBC brand remained. Over time, the cable channels left-leaning primetime programming diverged sharply from the straighter tone of NBC News, fueling long-standing tensions and repeated calls for a name change.

With the spinoff, MSNBC is also building out its own newsroom, hiring dozens of journalists to reduce reliance on NBC News correspondents. Kutler told staff that while the name will change, the networks mission will not: Our commitment to our work and our audiences will not waiver from what the brand promise has been for three decades.

The MS NOW logo, unveiled Monday, signals that fresh chapter one designed to cement the channels identity apart from NBC as it competes in an increasingly fractured media landscape.

Location sharing puts kids at risk, attorneys general charge

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• 37 state attorneys general urge Meta to restrict Instagrams new real-time location-sharing tool, citing risks to children and vulnerable users.

• The feature, called Map, launched Aug. 6 and shows users profile pictures and live locations to mutual followers.

• Meta says the tool is off by default and already includes safeguards, but critics argue it prioritizes engagement over safety.

When Instagram rolled out a new feature called Map on Aug. 6, it pitched the tool as a way to help friends connect. The function allows users to share their profile picture and real-time location with anyone who follows them.

But within days, a bipartisan coalition of 37 state attorneys general blasted the rollout, warning that the change could make children and survivors of abuse more vulnerable.

In a letter to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, the officials said Meta failed to adequately account for the safety risks of letting users particularly minors broadcast their whereabouts live.

Unrestricted location-sharing features pose a particular risk for minors as they can be readily used by sexual predators to identify and geographically target children in the real world, the attorneys general wrote.

Why attorneys general are pushing back

The coalition is calling for specific safeguards before the feature gains traction:

• Ban minors from using real-time location sharing.

• Warn adult users clearly about risks and data usage.

• Guarantee easy opt-out so adults who enable the tool can turn it off anytime.

New Mexico Attorney General Ral Torrez, who helped spearhead the effort, said Instagrams move highlights Metas priorities.

Instagram is once again prioritizing engagement over safety, Torrez said. It is absolutely stunning that the company would allow children on the platform to enable a feature which would provide predators with even more information to target and abuse them.

Torrezs office is already suing both Meta and Snapchat parent Snap Inc., alleging that their platforms fuel child exploitation and fail to protect young users.

What parents and users can do now

While attorneys general push for stricter limits, Instagram users already have ways to control their exposure. Heres how to manage or disable theMapfeature:

1. Check your settings:When the feature is introduced, youll see a notification explaining it. By default, it is turned off.

2. Opt out completely:Go into Instagrams settings, find the Location Sharing or Map option, and toggle it off.

3. Limit visibility:If you choose to use it, set location sharing to Close Friends instead of all followers.

4. Monitor teen accounts:Parents using Instagrams supervision tools get notifications if a teen enables the feature and can block access.

5. Talk about risks:Encourage kids and teens to think twice before broadcasting their live location, especially in public or unfamiliar places.

Metas defense: off by default

Meta maintains that Instagram Map was designed responsibly. The company stresses the tool is off by default, comes with an in-app notification explaining how it works, and can be disabled at any time. Parents supervising teen accounts are alerted if their child activates location sharing and can block access altogether.

Real-time location features should of course be intentionally built and give users control, a Meta spokesperson said, arguing that Instagram Map already incorporates safeguards.

Instagram also notes that teen accounts include built-in protections limiting who can contact them and what content they can see.

A history of battles over privacy and safety

The Map controversy is not happening in a vacuum. For more than a decade, Meta (formerly Facebook) has faced scrutiny from regulators and state attorneys general over how its platforms handle privacy, safety, and youth protections.

• 2011 FTC settlement: Facebook agreed to 20 years of privacy audits after being accused of misleading users about how their data was shared.

• 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal: The company came under fire when millions of users data was harvested without consent for political targeting.

• 2021 Facebook Papers: Leaked documents revealed internal research showing Instagram harmed teens mental health, particularly girls sparking bipartisan calls for reform.

• 2023 lawsuits: Dozens of states sued Meta, alleging its algorithms knowingly addict children and exacerbate mental health issues.

These battles have sharpened concerns among regulators that Meta tends to roll out engagement-driven features first and address safety implications only after public backlash.

Engagement vs. safety the bigger debate

Critics say Instagram Map is the latest example of a design choice that privileges user engagement at the expense of security. Privacy experts note that giving Meta a company with a checkered history on data protection access to detailed, real-time location information raises fresh risks.

For predators, stalkers, or abusers, location data could become a powerful tool. And for policymakers, the feature underscores the ongoing struggle to hold tech giants accountable for the downstream consequences of their products.

The broad coalition of attorneys general spanning red and blue states alike reflects how child safety on social media has become one of the few bipartisan issues in U.S. politics.

Whether Meta alters the feature remains unclear. But the uproar suggests that location-sharing on social media will be a flashpoint in the larger fight over digital privacy, online exploitation, and the responsibilities of tech platforms.