Virtual buffet points to variety as an overeating risk factor

Medical Xpress

February 27, 2026

At Super Bowl parties, weddings, Independence Day cookouts and Thanksgiving dinners, people celebrate with large spreads of food. When faced with many options, extra food variety increases people's selection of foods, especially calorie-rich foods, which may lead to overeating, according to a new study conducted by researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences.