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Pediatric Obesity pp 15–32Cite as

The Neuroendocrine Control of Energy Balance

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Part of the book series: Contemporary Endocrinology ((COE))

Abstract

When discussing the causes of obesity, it is easy to point fingers at the individual. “Gluttony” and “sloth” after all are two of the seven “deadly sins.” Obese adults and their children are assumed to have “free choice” with regard to food intake and energy expenditure and are therefore “responsible” for their metabolic “fates” (1). But no child chooses to become obese; indeed the quality of life of an obese child is similar to that of children receiving cancer chemotherapy (2). Furthermore, the striking increases in obesity prevalence in 2- to 5-year-old children (3) suggest that there are other explanations for the obesity epidemic. Here I explore the biochemical determinants that control energy balance and argue that difficulties in achieving and/or maintaining weight loss reflect the potency of central reinforcement systems, the effects of stress, and the resilience of the body’s adaptive responses.

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  1. Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA

    Robert H. Lustig

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  1. Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, and Diabetes, Duke University, DUMC 3080, Durham, 27710, North Carolina, USA

    Michael Freemark

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Lustig, R.H. (2010). The Neuroendocrine Control of Energy Balance. In: Freemark, M. (eds) Pediatric Obesity. Contemporary Endocrinology. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-874-4_2

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