— Childhood ear infections may not just put hearing at risk. Kids who get them
may develop a strong affinity for fatty foods and could be predisposed to
obesity, surveys now suggest. Researchers suspect that infections of the middle
ear may alter the sense of taste by damaging a nerve that carries sensations
from the tongue to the brain.
A childhood history of frequent, serious ear infections
(defined as those requiring antibiotics) doubles the risk of becoming obese
later in life, psychologist Linda Bartoshuk of the University
of Florida in Gainesville
reported on August 20 in Philadelphia
during a meeting of the American Chemical Society. Those with ear infection
histories also have a stronger preference for fatty foods, she said.