This article explores the brain mechanisms underlying the motivational 'wanting' and hedonic 'liking' of food rewards, and their roles in eating disorders. It discusses recent findings on brain mechanisms of hedonic 'liking', such as the existence of cubic-millimeter hedonic hotspots in the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum for opioid amplification of sensory pleasure. The article also examines brain 'wanting' or incentive salience systems important to appetite, such as mesolimbic dopamine systems and opioid motivation circuits. It considers potential ways in which 'wanting' and 'liking' might relate to eating disorders, including obesity, bulimia, and anorexia. The author highlights the importance of understanding these brain reward systems to guide thinking about eating disorders and develop better treatments. The article delves into the cognitive and neural differences between 'wanting' and 'liking', the measurement of pleasure 'liking', and the brain systems responsible for generating food pleasure. It also discusses the role of dopamine in 'wanting' but not 'liking', and the interaction between brain reward systems and regulatory systems like hunger and stress. Finally, it sketches potential roles of brain reward systems in eating disorders, suggesting that these systems may be distorted in conditions like eating disorders, leading to exaggerated or suppressed functions.This article explores the brain mechanisms underlying the motivational 'wanting' and hedonic 'liking' of food rewards, and their roles in eating disorders. It discusses recent findings on brain mechanisms of hedonic 'liking', such as the existence of cubic-millimeter hedonic hotspots in the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum for opioid amplification of sensory pleasure. The article also examines brain 'wanting' or incentive salience systems important to appetite, such as mesolimbic dopamine systems and opioid motivation circuits. It considers potential ways in which 'wanting' and 'liking' might relate to eating disorders, including obesity, bulimia, and anorexia. The author highlights the importance of understanding these brain reward systems to guide thinking about eating disorders and develop better treatments. The article delves into the cognitive and neural differences between 'wanting' and 'liking', the measurement of pleasure 'liking', and the brain systems responsible for generating food pleasure. It also discusses the role of dopamine in 'wanting' but not 'liking', and the interaction between brain reward systems and regulatory systems like hunger and stress. Finally, it sketches potential roles of brain reward systems in eating disorders, suggesting that these systems may be distorted in conditions like eating disorders, leading to exaggerated or suppressed functions.