Eating behaviour - neural mechanisms

Question 1

Hetherington and Ranson (ventromedial hypothalamus)

Answer 1

• lesioned in rats
• rats became obese
• suggests undamaged VMH stops rat eating too much
• same with Anand and Brobeck with LH
• lab experiments: controlled
• danger of drawing data from animals and generalising to humans? structure of mammalian brain is similar across different species, likely role of hypothalamus is same for animals and humans

Question 2

Carlson (leptin)

Answer 2

• obese mice had no leptin and were obese
• injected with leptin; lost weight
• suggests leptin acts as satiety signal

Question 3

Schachter (other factors)

Answer 3

• found habits affected when people ate

- obese people respond to external cues, non-obese to internal cues