Neural and Hormonal Bases of Eating Behaviours

Eating Behaviour – Anorexia Nervosa and Obesity

In this course, Dr Laura Renshaw-Vuillier (Bournemouth University) explores the mechanisms behind anorexia nervosa and obesity. In the first lecture, we think about some of the neural and hormonal bases for normal eating behaviours. In the second lecture, we think about some of the biological mechanisms behind anorexia nervosa, including the prevalence of genetic explanatory factors. Next, we think about some psychological mechanisms behind anorexia nervosa, including family systems theory, social learning theory and cognitive theory. In the fourth and final lecture, we think about some of the mechanisms behind obesity, covering neural, hormonal, and psychological factors.

Neural and Hormonal Bases of Eating Behaviours

In this lecture, we think about some of the neural and hormonal bases for eating behaviours, focusing in particular on: (i) the role of the hypothalamus in homeostasis, which is the maintenance of balance in bodily functions; (ii) the three structures within the hypothalamus being the lateral and ventromedial hypothalamus, and the arcuate nucleus; (iii) the process of hormonal release during a day of eating, detected and responded to by the hypothalamic structures; (iv) factors aside from biology which can contribute to eating when full or not eating when hungry, including social and psychological factors; (v) Macht and colleagues’ study on the impact of emotional state on eating habits; (vi) Oliver and colleagues’ research, which found that those who typically restrict their diet eat comparatively more when under stress than those who don’t.