Control of Food Intake in the Obese
Food intake (eating) is a form of behavior
that is subject to conscious control. In practice, many obese and weight-gaining
individuals claim that their eating is out of (their) control. Mechanistic
models describe the interplay of biological and environmental forces that
control food intake. However, because human food intake is characterized
by individuals intervening to adjust their own patterns of behavior, food
intake should reflect interactions among biology, environment, and attempted
self-imposed control of behavior. In general, humans display a system
of weight regulation that is asymmetrical - a reduction in body weight
is strongly defended but weight gain is not. The body seems to tolerate
a positive energy balance. There is no mechanism that can detect a positive
energy balance per se or that can implement a sufficiently strong correction
to behavior to maintain body weight in an environment that promotes consumption.
The evolutionary process has favored biological traits associated with
preferences for high energy density (sweet and/or fatty) energy-yielding
foods. The control of food intake in obese or weight-gaining individuals
may display various risk factors that favor an increase in energy. These
include the preference for high energy-dense over low energy-dense foods,
weak postprandial inhibitory signaling, strong hunger traits associated
with low leptin levels after weight loss, and the consumption of fatty
foods. In addition, many individuals (up to 47 percent of some samples)
display binge eating patterns, whereas approximately 16 percent show either
night eating or nocturnal eating. Because energy expenditure is only loosely
coupled to energy intake, sedentariness does not down-regulate food intake.
Source: Blundell JE, Gillett A. Department
of Psychobiology, University of Leeds, UK. 2001
Weight Loss News
Theories about how to lose weight, how to reduce obesity and general weight
management are constantly changing along with ideas about which weight
loss diet program is best and so forth. At present, however, a balanced
diet combined with regular exercise remains the favorite weight loss strategy
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