A new study suggests that people born with a gene linked to obesity have the predisposition to crave high-fat over high-sugar foods.

One in every 1,000 people is said to be born with the "fat-craving" gene identified as the MC4R. Scientists have found that people with the gene tend to reject low-calorie versions of the same food, even if it tastes the same as the high-calorie meal.

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To test the hypothesis, a group of researchers from the University of Cambridge conducted an experiment involving 54 participants, 10 of whom have the "fat-craving" gene. The volunteers were provided three versions of curry that tasted the same but had different fat content in an all-you-can-eat buffet. Without telling them which version contained more calories, they were invited to try out all the food and eat all they wanted.

The researchers found that despite eating the same amount of food, those with the MC4R gene ate double the amount of the curry containing higher calories as compared to lean individuals. They also consumed 65 percent more than obese participants.

During the second experiment, volunteers were presented with three versions of the dessert called "Eton Mess" which contained a mixture of whipped cream, broken meringue, and strawberries. The participants were allowed to freely choose which they preferred to consume, the dessert containing low sugar (eight percent), moderate (26 percent) or high (54 percent), but with the same sugar level.

Participants with the MC4R gene preferred the high-sugar dessert less as compared to their lean and obese counterparts.

Professor Farooqi and colleagues concluded based on their findings that humans and animals may have evolved pathways in the brain that modulate the preference for high caloric food to cope during for starvation.

Meanwhile, understanding the genetic foundations of food preference can help scientists develop an appetite-suppressing drug that could help in the treatment of obesity.

The research has been published in the journal "Nature Communications."