Researchers investigating eating disorders often study chemical and neurological functions in the brain to discover clues to overeating. Understanding non-homeostatic eating — or eating that is driven more by palatability, habit and food cues — and how it works in the brain may help neuroscientists determine how to control cravings, maintain healthier weights and promote healthier lifestyles. Scientists at the University of ÑÇÖÞÓ°Ôº recently discovered the chemical circuits and mechanisms in the brain that separate food consumption from cravings. Knowing more about these mechanisms could help researchers develop drugs that reduce overeating.
“Non-homeostatic eating can be thought of as eating dessert after you’ve eaten an entire meal,” said Kyle Parker, a former grad student and investigator in the . “I may know that I’m not hungry, but this dessert is delicious so I’m going to eat it anyway. We’re looking at what neural circuitry is involved in driving that behavior.”
, an associate professor of psychological sciences in the MU , a research investigator in the Bond Life Sciences Center and Parker’s adviser, says for behavior scientists, eating is described as a two-step process called the appetitive and consummatory phases.
Reviewed 2016-03-08