Research
Adherence
Obesity is associated with a higher consumption of energy-dense foods, but this is driven by cue-reactivity and desire rather than a heightened hedonic liking (pleasure) for those foods.
While obese individuals may consume more energy-dense foods, this is not necessarily because they enjoy them more. Focus on managing environmental cues and your motivation to eat, rather than assuming you simply have a stronger taste preference for these foods.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Overweight and obese individuals show a tendency toward greater liking and selection of energy-dense foods, which may contribute to development and maintenance of these conditions. However, although liking (pleasure from eating) is an important part of food choice, it may make only a modest contribution to overall variation in food choice and eating behaviors.
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing multiple studies with varying results on sensory perception vs. actual intake.
Source
Determinants of Food Choice: Relationships with Obesity and Weight Control
David J. Mela · Obesity Research · 2001
DOI 10.1038/oby.2001.127
narrative_reviewCited 243×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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