Obesity is a chronic multisystemic disease modulated by neural and hormonal factors beyond one’s personal control
Weight is controlled via a multi-level complex system involving:
1) Gut hormones
2) Adipose tissue hormones
These hormones input into the brain to affect hunger, sensory perception,
cognition, emotion and behavior
- Orexigenic and anorexigenic signals are sent to other regions of the brain from 2nd order neurons including – Forebrain, hindbrain, amygdala, brainstem, dorsal vagal complex (DVC), nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS), lateral hypothalamus (LH)
- The decision to eat is impacted by :
Endogenous drives (hunger and satiety hormones)
Environmental cues such as palatable or novel foods or predator exposure when searching
Highly palatable foods overriding satiety signals
Hunger-related behavior, perception, emotions and cognition
- Further affected by
Reward, motivation, learning, memory
