Food reward sensitivity mediates the association between chemosensory pleasure and adiposity in young adults

This cross-sectional study investigated whether food reward sensitivity mediates the association between chemosensory pleasure and adiposity in young adults. A total of 300 university students completed the Chemosensory Pleasure Scale (CPS), the Power of Food Scale (PFS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), alongside anthropometric assessments. Chemosensory pleasure was strongly and positively associated with food reward sensitivity (β = 0.620, p < .001), and this relationship remained robust after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and depressive symptoms. While chemosensory pleasure showed only weak direct associations with adiposity indicators, food reward sensitivity was positively associated with body fat percentage. Mediation analyses demonstrated a significant indirect effect of chemosensory pleasure on body fat percentage through food reward sensitivity (indirect effect = 0.105; 95% CI: 0.039–0.179), indicating an indirect-only pathway. Although sex-stratified analyses suggested some pattern differences, moderated mediation analyses did not support a significant moderating role of sex. These findings suggest that chemosensory pleasure may be related to adiposity primarily when accompanied by increased food reward sensitivity. The results highlight food reward sensitivity as a potential psychological mechanism linking sensory responsiveness to adiposity.