The conventional wisdom says we're overweight because we enjoy food too much. But a growing body of research suggests the opposite might be true—that pleasure could be the key to eating less. Dr. Dana Small, a neuroscience researcher at McGill University, has published papers arguing that the scientific community has it backward. In a paper called "In Defense of Pleasure" published in PLOS Biology, she contends that eating for pleasure is unlikely to be driving the obesity epidemic.

Nearly two in five Americans suffer from obesity, and GLP-1 drug spending topped $70 billion in 2023. Dr. Small distinguishes between two neural pathways: the "high road" responding to taste in the mouth, and the "low road" activated after food is metabolized. She argues the real culprit lies in the low road, where fat and calorie-dense foods trigger dopamine hits even when they aren't especially flavorful. David Ludwig from Boston Children’s Hospital argues the problem isn't "hyperpalatability" but simple carbohydrates that cause blood sugar to spike and crash, driving binge eating.

Dr. Small tested her own theory when she found herself on the brink of Type 2 diabetes. Rather than enduring joyless deprivation, she focused on foods she genuinely enjoyed—scouring markets for the sweetest raspberries, preparing flavorful vegetable stir-fries with turmeric and spices. She lost about 40 pounds and is no longer prediabetic. Her guiding principle: the more pleasure, the better. "I believe that pleasure may help you eat less, rather than more," she said.