Rolle des Hypothalamus bei der Steuerung des Essverhaltens

The regulation of eating behavior is a complex process that is controlled by innate and learned mechanisms through the synchronized interaction of many brain regions. The underlying neural network integrates external information from the environment to stimulate food intake when it is available. In addition, internal signals that inform the network about how much food was recently consumed and how much energy is stored in the body are registered and processed. As the loss of energy represents a critical disadvantage for survival, this system has evolved over time to promote food intake and generate a surplus of calories. This maintenance of a positive energy balance, primarily achieved through the storage of energy in the form of fat in adipose tissue, is far more advantageous than a lack of energy reserves to meet the daily demands.