Regulation of Energy Intake in Humans

Review
In: Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000.
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Excerpt

Energy balance requires that an organism match caloric intake relatively precisely with caloric expenditure. In humans, an error of only +11 kcal/day results in a one pound weight gain over the course of a year. Over the past 40 years, the average body weight of American adults has increased at rate of less than that one pound per year, but the steady increase has yielded an increase of an average of 3 BMI points, bringing the average adult from a healthy weight into the overweight category (1). This increase brings with it a significantly increased risk of a number of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease and has a total financial cost estimated at $139 billion per year (2). In attempting to identify potential biological causes and treatments for this widely-occurring disorder, it is critical to understand the mechanisms which regulate energy homeostasis. In this chapter, we will review both peripheral and central signaling mechanisms relating to the food intake side of the equation, including how these signals function with respect to specific aspects of food intake-related behavior, and a brief overview of how this system may become dysregulated during states of chronic overconsumption and obesity.

Publication types

  • Review