Download Hormones Impacting Food Seeking Behavior

Hormones Impacting Food
Seeking Behavior
Lori Thompson
Selected Hormone Actions on Food Intake Hormone
Origin
Action
Ghrelin
Increases between
meals based on
previously
consumed volume
of food
Stomach
Stimulates appetite
Leptin
Higher in obesity,
but cells may be
resistant
Adipose Tissue
Suppresses
appetite, increases
energy expenditure
PYY
Lower in obesity,
increases after a
meal
Small intestine
Suppresses
appetite
Neuropeptide Y
Increases between
meals, triggered by
falling blood
glucose levels
Hypothalamus
Stimulates appetite
particularly
carbohydrate
cravings, promotes
energy storage as
fat
Adiponectin
Higher in obesity
Primarily visceral
fat stores
Increases insulin
sensitivity
Hormonal Control of Food Intake
 Determined by:
 Genetic instructions
 Body’s fat mass
 Body’s lean tissues
 Amount/volume of food in previous meal
 Sensitivity of hormone receptor sites
 Macronutrients entering small intestine
 Food intake influenced by input from nervous
system
 Stomach’s stretch receptors
 Afferent sensory fibers from mouth, eyes, nose,
etc. trigger a reward cascade that releases
dopamine
More information on this topic
Many peer-reviewed journal articles on this topic. One good
article can be found at:
Morton, G. J., Cummings, D. E., Baskin, D. G., Barsh, G. S.,
& Schwartz, M. W. (2006). Central nervous system control of
food intake and body weight. Nature, 443(21), 289-295.