AdvertisementTaste Buds Dull As People Gain Weight. Now Scientists Think They Know WhyMarch 20, 2018Angus ChenfacebookEmailA color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph of the surface of the human tongue. Taste buds are shown in purple. Doctors have known that as people pack on the pounds, their sense of taste diminishes. New research in mice suggests one reason why: Inflammation brought on by obesity may be killing taste buds. (Getty Images/Science Source)