The Regulation of Food Intake

Abstract

Experimental evidence was presented which supports the view that the hypothalamus contains a “feeding” center and a “satiety” center. The satiety center obtains its information from the bloodstream via glucoreceptors. Destruction of the satiety center acts to release the feeding center from the inhibitory influence of the satiety center and this results in hyperphagia. Changes in blood glucose and liver glycogen resulting from feeding and fasting and from parenteral injections of glucagon and insulin are likewise in conformity with the glucostatic theory of the regulation of food intake. Finally, the fact that intravenous glucose is effective as a reward in operant conditioning indicates that rats, and presumably other animals, are capable of discriminating changes in blood glucose.