system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Objectively speaking, why does depression make food taste worse?
gpt
*Anhedonia*, the absence of joy, is a symptom of depression. It's not that the food tastes worse, but the *sensation of joy from the taste of the food* is reduced. The mechanism is not well understood, but it is generally believed lack of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, plays a role.