Regulation of nutrient supply: the brain and appetite control

Abstract

The regulation of nutrient supply connotes a scientific interest in the control of food consumption since eating is the means through which the body (and brain) receives its supply of nutrients. In turn, the nutrient value of food is clearly one factor which plays a role in the pattern of food consumption. Therefore, investigations of the processes underlying appetite control should give some priority to the nutritional characteristics of the food consumed. For approximately the last 20 years the study of the brain and appetite control has been driven, in part, by the need to understand the problem of human obesity and to develop strategies to treat or prevent the condition. In this context the regulation of nutrient supply assumes particular significance since a number of studies have indicated a positive relationship between the proportion of fat in the diet and the prevalence of overweight or obesity. Consequently, there is an urgent need to examine neural mechanisms for the control of appetite with reference to the regulation of intake of dietary fat and the control of body weight.