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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
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Combining Quantitative Food-intake Assays and Forcibly Activating Neurons to Study Appetite in Drosophila
Published on: April 24, 2018
Appetite for the selfish gene.
Iztok Ostan1, Borut Poljsak, Marjan Simcic
1Faculty for Maritime Studies and Transportation, University of Ljubljana, Pot pomorscakov 4, 6320 Portoroz, Slovenia. iztok.ostan@fpp.uni-lj.si
Appetite
|April 13, 2010
Summary
Humans instinctively choose unhealthy foods, driven by genomic pleasure, not just ignorance. This evolutionary trait impacts reproductive capability and overrides conscious dietary choices, challenging educational approaches.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Nutritional Science
- Human Biology
Background:
- Despite access to healthy diets in developed nations, unhealthy eating is prevalent.
- Current World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) strategies rely on education, assuming ignorance is the primary cause.
- Wild animals exhibit innate unhealthy eating patterns, suggesting biological, not just cultural, influences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present evidence of similar nutritional patterns in humans.
- To broaden the discussion on human nutrition to include proteins and fats.
- To explore human biological traits influencing food choices, such as overeating.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of human and animal nutritional behaviors.
- Review of evolutionary perspectives on food selection.
- Discussion of human biological traits related to diet.
Main Results:
- Humans, like wild animals, show tendencies towards unhealthy food choices, including processed foods and excessive protein/fat intake.
- Human biological traits, such as a propensity for overeating, differ from other primates.
- A completely raw diet may be inadequate for human consumption, despite potential immune benefits.
Conclusions:
- Innate, genomic-based pleasure in certain foods appears to be a primary driver of human nutritional choices.
- These instinctive drives, potentially linked to reproductive advantage, often supersede conscious decisions.
- Further research is needed to differentiate the roles of genomic, epigenetic, and cultural factors in food acceptance.
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