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Updated: Jun 23, 2025

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Published on: March 19, 2014
Endogenous Opioids in the Homeostatic Regulation of Hunger, Satiety, and Hedonic Eating: Neurobiological Foundations
Marcela Rodriguez Flores1,2, Sylvana Stephano Zúñiga1
1Obesity and Eating Disorders Clinic, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Tlalpan, Mexico.
Abstract:
This chapter (part one of a trilogy) summarizes the neurobiological foundations of endogenous opioids in the regulation of energy balance and eating behavior, dysregulation of which translates to maladaptive dietary responses in individuals with obesity and eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. Knowledge of these neurobiological foundations is vital to researchers' and clinicians' understanding of pathophysiology as well as the science-based development of multidisciplinary diagnoses and treatments for obesity and eating disorders. We highlight mechanisms of endogenous opioids in both homeostatic and hedonic feeding behavior, review research on the dysregulation of food reward that plays a role in a wide array of obesity and disordered eating, and the clinical implications of neurobiological responses to food for current science-based treatments for obesity and eating disorders.
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