Some suggestions on dealing with palatability—Response to Ramirez

The understanding of the word "palatability" is explained within a research context consisting of four components: an ingestor, an ingestant, a response measure, and an observer. Within this context a solution is proposed to the circularity of an observer measuring palatability by the amount of ingestive activity and in turn attributing the amount ingested to a measure of palatability. The use of measurements under standardized conditions is emphasized and the suggestion is made that palatability be qualified by the operations which affect variability in measurements of its magnitude. For example, "intrinsic" or "food-generated palatability" is defined as the variability in ratings attributable to changes in the sensory properties of ingested items which are intrinsic to the items being tested. "Learned palatability" could be used for changes in the response to a food attributable to pairing of its sensory properties with post-ingestional effects. The way out of the dilemma posed by the question "do palatable foods induce obesity?", is to determine the relative contributions to excessive intake, which can induce obesity, made by the various sorts of palatabilities, designated by the operations which generate their definitions. In the end this process could render the word "palatable" obsolete.