Hyperpalatable Foods: Affect on Appetite
Palatability strongly influences how much we eat at meals.
We have complicated mechanisms in our bodies and brains that are supposed to regulate energy balance (how much we eat and how much we burn) which, until very recently in evolutionary history, worked to keep us at a healthy weight.
There is quite a lot of evidence that the reward value of foods can bypass the innate defense mechanism and make us start eating much more than we need, so much that it starts to compromise our health.
Processed foods are so incredibly rewarding to our brains that they affect our thoughts and behavior, making us eat more and more. Processed foods usually aren’t very nutritious.
They have more energy than we need, with fewer vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Regular consumption starts to change your brain: regular portion sizes are no longer satisfying; it’s harder to feel satiated so you want to keep eating and to eat more often.