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Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents
Published on: November 1, 2019
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Appetitive interoception, the hippocampus and western-style diet
Terry L Davidson1, Richard J Stevenson2
1Department of Neuroscience and the Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, Washington, DC, USA. terryd@american.edu.
Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders
|January 24, 2022
Summary
A Western-style diet (WD) high in fat and sugar disrupts the hippocampus, impairing memory and weakening control over eating. This can create a cycle of obesity and cognitive decline.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Metabolic Health
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Obesity and Type 2 diabetes are significant global health challenges.
- Overconsumption of saturated fats and sugar in Western-style diets (WD) is a key contributor.
- These diets may interfere with brain mechanisms processing hunger and satiety signals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a theoretical model linking WD intake to impaired interoceptive signal processing.
- To review evidence on the hippocampus's role in modulating appetitive and eating behavior.
- To explore how WD affects hippocampal function and its consequences.
Main Methods:
- Review of findings from studies involving rats and humans.
- Analysis of the hippocampus's role in learning and memory operations related to interoception.
- Examination of the impact of WD on hippocampal integrity and function.
Main Results:
- WD intake is associated with hippocampal pathologies.
- WD impairs hippocampal-dependent learning and memory (HDLM).
- Behavioral control by hunger and satiety signals is weakened by WD.
Conclusions:
- WD disrupts the hippocampus, impairing its ability to use interoceptive cues for behavioral control.
- This disruption may lead to a cycle of continued WD consumption, obesity, and cognitive decline.
- Targeting WD components and supporting hippocampal function may be crucial for metabolic and cognitive health.
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