Is "Hyperpalatability" Just a Pseudoscientific Buzzword Used by Greedy & Racist Diet Zealots?

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to be able to eat a whole bag of chips without stopping, while others can only eat a handful? Well, a study from 2004 looked into this concept of "sensory-specific satiety" and how it may contribute to obesity. The study(1) hypothesized that obese and normal-weight individuals would have different sensitivities to sensory-specific satiety for high-fat foods. However, the results showed that there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of their sensitivity to this phenomenon.

What does this mean? Essentially, it suggests that the pleasure obtained from food may diminish in a similar way for both lean and obese individuals. This challenges the concept of hyperpalatability, which implies that certain foods are so tasty and addictive that they contribute to overeating and weight gain. The idea of hyperpalatability has been used by some diet zealots to promote unhealthy recipes and junk processed information, which only serve to add more confusion and frustration to those trying to improve their health.

Moreover, the concept of hyperpalatability may also be rooted in racism, as it implies that only certain countries, like Cook Island(obesity rates of 55.90%), have tasty and palatable foods, while other countries, like Japan(obesity rate of 3.6%), do not. This can be seen as a damaging stereotype that promotes cultural biases, poor understanding of science, and undermines the diversity and richness of different food cultures around the world.