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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Published on: March 19, 2014
Evolved to satisfy our immediate needs: self-control and the rewarding properties of food
Ruud van den Bos1, Denise de Ridder
1Department of Ethology and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. r.vandenbos@las.vet.uu.nl
Abstract:
Evolutionary explanations of overeating in modern society emphasize that humans have evolved to eat to their physiological limits when food is available. The present paper challenges the idea that eating is driven by the availability of food only and proposes that it is regulated by strategic anticipatory behaviour in service of the most profitable long-term scenario as well. Our alternative explanation emphasizes the interaction between the reward system that regulates the liking and wanting of food and the role of self-control, which is involved in maintaining the best outcome in the long run.
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