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Why do people eat more when food is free?
short by Daisy Mowke / on Friday, 16 January, 2026
People often tend to eat more when food is free, for example, at an unlimited breakfast buffet. "Unlimited food activates fear of missing out, not hunger. People eat more because their brain is trying to maximise a rare opportunity," said a behavioural psychologist. Researchers call it sensory-specific satiety—the idea that fullness depends on variety, not volume.
read more at Cleveland Clinic