Psychological and Neural Contributions to Appetite Self-Regulation

OBJECTIVE: Review the state-of-the-science on psychological and neural contributions to appetite self-regulation in the context of obesity. METHODS: Three content areas (neural systems and cognitive functions; parenting and early childhood development; and goal setting and goal striving) served as examples of different perspectives on the psychological and neural factors that contribute to appetite dysregulation in the context of obesity. Talks were initially delivered at a workshop consisting of experts in these three content areas and then content areas were further developed through a review of the literature. RESULTS: Self-regulation of appetite involves a complex interaction between multiple domains, including cognitive, neural, social, and goal-directed behaviors and decision-making. Self-regulation failures can results from any of these factors, and the resulting implications for obesity should be considered in light of each domain. In some cases, self-regulation appears to be amenable to intervention; however, this does not appear to be universally true, which has implications for both prevention and intervention efforts. CONCLUSIONS: Appetite regulation is a complex, multi-factorial construct. When considering its role in the obesity epidemic, it is advisable to consider these various contributions together to best inform prevention and treatment efforts.