Neurological regulation of body weight.

Abstract

We have now come full circle, from a consideration of the factors influencing the control of BW regulation to a review of the human disorders in which these control mechanisms no longer function appropriately. Experimental observation in both animals and man has led to the inescapable conclusion that FI, BW regulation, and thermogenesis are controlled in large part by the CNS. In man, the fairly stable regulation of BW within reasonably close bounds strongly suggests that BW is monitored in some way, and that FI and energy expenditure are regulated in response to this afferent set of signals. Certainly, the number of factors are legion which can influence the central integration and the effector mechanisms by which FI and energy expenditure are regulated by the CNS. The most striking observation is the relative precision with which the overall system works and how few are the number of pathological conditions which severely alter the regulation of BW. The most prominent challenges in this field are the identification of both the sensors of the nutritional status, composition and weight of the organism, and of the actual effectors of thermogenesis in mammals. A more complete understanding of these factors should enable us to better control perturbations of BW under pathological conditions.