Hunger and Hormones

Hunger Regulation

The brain, not the stomach, regulates hunger.

Hypothalamus in hunger

Lateral Hypothalamus: Initiating hunger

Ventromedial Hypothalamus: Stops eating (lesions in the area may lead to non-stop eating)

What are some hunger hormones?

1. Ghrelin

2. CCk

3. Leptin

Ghrelin

Produced by the stomach and communicates with the hypothalamus to increase hunger

CCK

Counteracts the effects of ghrelin to decrease hunger

Leptin

Tells the hypothalamus to lower our appetite to increase energy used

Which gene plays a role in obesity?

Malanocortin-4 Receptor Gene

Malanocortin-4 Receptor Gene

People with a mutation that makes them never seem to feel full

Factors in Weight Gain

1. Portion Distortion

2. Idimic Bias

3. Internal-External Theory

Internal-External Theory

Obese people are motivated to eat more by external cues than internal cue

Internal Cue of Eating

Paying attention to our bodily signals

External Cue of eating

Taste and smell of food

Normative Cue

How much the people around you are eating.

When one sees people around you are eating a lot, you are more likely to eat more

Bulimia Nervosa

Engagement in recurrent binge eating followed by efforts to minimize weight gain

Anorexia Nervosa

Restriction of required nutrient intake which leads to significantly low body weight