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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

Eating for pleasure or calories.

Huiyuan Zheng¹, Hans-Rudolf Berthoud

¹Neurobiology of Nutrition Laboratory, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.

Current Opinion in Pharmacology

|November 27, 2007

Summary

The modern environment disrupts physiological controls, contributing to obesity. Metabolic signals and brain regions interact, influencing appetite and body weight regulation.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Metabolic regulation
Obesity research

Background:

The obesity epidemic is linked to environmental and lifestyle changes impacting physiological responses.
Mechanisms by which modern environments override appetite and body weight regulation are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the interplay between metabolic signals and the cognitive/emotional brain in the context of obesity.
To elucidate how environmental factors influence appetite and homeostatic body weight regulation.

Main Methods:

Review of major advances in understanding the crosstalk between metabolic signals and brain functions.
Analysis of the direct effects of metabolic signals on cognitive and emotional processes.
Investigation of how reward, cognitive, and executive control brain areas interact with hypothalamic regulation.

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Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

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Published on: March 19, 2014

Intermittent Binge-Intake Model in Mice

Intermittent Binge-Intake Model in Mice

Published on: January 10, 2025

Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents

Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents

Published on: November 1, 2019

Main Results:

Metabolic signals like leptin and ghrelin directly impact learning, memory, liking, and wanting.
Brain areas involved in reward, cognition, and executive control can override hypothalamic metabolic regulation.

Conclusions:

The modern environment's influence on obesity involves complex interactions between metabolic signals and brain pathways.
Understanding this crosstalk is crucial for addressing the obesity epidemic.