The fact that about 30-40% of the adults in the Western world are overweight or obese testifies to the frequency of the disturbances in body weight regulation. Scientists have established that caloric intake, macronutrient composition of the diet, basal and resting metabolic rate, thermic response to food, energy expenditure associated with movement and physical activity, and preferential storage of the surplus of calories as fat or lean tissues are critical determinants of energy balance and body weight. While much has been learned, the field is poised for major advances with the advent of a variety of imaging techniques, progress in quantitative and molecular genetics, use of transgenic rodent models and of breeding experiments with informative inbred strains, availability of stable isotopes for metabolic and behavioral studies, and a growing number of useful experimental animal and human models. This volume takes an integrative approach to obesity. It is structured around four major topics: (1) the animal and human models currently available for the study of body weight regulation with their strengths and limitations, (2) the molecular and genetic basis of the regulation of body weight, (3) the metabolic and physiological mechanisms involved, and (4) the behavioral and social determinants. The 13 background papers provide a critical overview of the present knowledge base while the group reports summarize the extensive deliberations of 38 international experts. Particular emphasis has been given to promising research areas and on the advances needed to ensure a better understanding of the biological and behavioral mechanisms of the regulation of body weight, with a particular emphasis on overweight and obesity.

The primary purpose of fitness and body composition standards in the U.S. Armed Forces has always been to select individuals best suited to the physical demands of military service, based on the assumption that proper body weight and composition supports good health, physical fitness, and appropriate military appearance. The current epidemic of overweight and obesity in the United States affects the military services. The pool of available recruits is reduced because of failure to meet body composition standards for entry into the services and a high percentage of individuals exceeding military weight-for-height standards at the time of entry into the service leave the military before completing their term of enlistment. To aid in developing strategies for prevention and remediation of overweight in military personnel, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command requested the Committee on Military Nutrition Research to review the scientific evidence for: factors that influence body weight, optimal components of a weight loss and weight maintenance program, and the role of gender, age, and ethnicity in weight management.

The main purpose of Body Weight Regulation is to educate the reader on the best strategy for losing weight and keeping it off long term. But after many years of managing obesity, the author has found that to achieve the best results, it is essential to understand the true nature of obesity. Thus this book first discusses the way the brain regulates body weight and how obesity cannot be caused only by poor lifestyle choices. It reviews the overwhelming evidence that obesity has a strong genetic or epigenetic basis and gives an evidence-based, detailed strategy on how to lose weight and keep it off . Body Weight Regulation discusses practical advice on how to structure meals that can be used during the weight-loss and weight-maintenance phases.

There is now enough basic work to sketch out the principal systems at all levels of the brain, from prefrontal cortex to lower brainstem, which are orchestrated to provide control of food selection, preference and consumption. At the same time, the complex interplay between central systems and signals generated from peripheral systems include the gut, liver and fat stores, as well as the interactions with the neuroendocrine system can be described in some detail. A continuing theme throughout the book is that the functional analysis of appetite and food intake cannot be limited to a single focus, e.g. hypothalamic neuropeptides and their interactions, but must be based on a fully integrated view of the several contributing systems. Appetite and Body Weight: Integrative Systems and the Development of Anti-Obesity Drugs provides an expert guide to the neural, neurochemical, autonomic and endocrine interrelations which underpin appetite and the controls of food intake and body weight. The book covers many of the neurochemical entities that are currently under investigation, including: neuropeptides, leptin, insulin, monoamines and endogenous cannabinoids in relation to appetite and body-weight control. In addition to the neuroscience analysis, there are also chapters that provide an expert guide to some of the key psychological concepts that the researchers believe are essential in trying to understand the phenomena under investigation. The volume will also serve as an authoritative guide to the current emphasis on the development of novel, efficacious anti-obesity medication. - Provides an integrative view of the many systems involved in appetite how they interact to effect food intake (i.e. the brain, endocrine, gut, liver etc.) - Considers psychological aspects such as incentive, preference, liking and palatability, and sets these concepts in their behavioural, pharmacological and neural contexts - Examines the development of novel anti-obesity drugs, drawing on experience of pharmacological development work, pre-clinical tests for anti-obesity efficacy, and clinical trials of candidate anti-obesity compounds

A concise and innovative account of clinical neuroendocrine disorders and the key principles underlying their diagnosis and management.

The present book summarizes presentations to an IPSEN Foundation Conference on Brain Somatic Cross Talk and the Central Control of Metabolism, organised in 2002. It proposes a state-of-the-art outline of the multifaceted neuronal networks which serve the highly selective purpose of adapting growth, metabolism, reproduction, and more generally energy consumption to the availability of food resources. The physiology of over twenty neurotransmitters and peptides underlying these functions is presented, together with their neuronal targets, their mechanism of action and their current or anticipated relevance for pathology. Functions covered are as diverse as regulation of food intake and sleep, adaptation to emergency situations, and finally mental disorders - as well as early, irreversible imprinting of epigenetic influences on physiological and behavioural patterns, which in some cases can even be transmitted from generation to generation. Book jacket.

This book surveys the entire field of body composition as it relates to performance. It includes a clear definition of terminology and a discussion of the various methods for measuring body composition. The authored papers represent a state-of-the-art review of this controversial field and address questions such as: What is a better measure of body compositionâ€"body fat or lean body mass? Does being overweight for one's height really affect performance? The book also addresses the issue of physical appearance as it relates to body fatness and performance. It includes an in-depth discussion of many of the topics of interest to those involved in sports medicine and exercise physiology.

The important Third Edition of this successful book conveys a modern and integrated picture of metabolism and metabolic regulation. Explaining difficult concepts with unequalled clarity, author Keith Frayn provides the reader with an essential guide to the subject. Covering topics such as energy balance, body weight regulation and how the body copes with extreme situations, this book illustrates how metabolic regulation allows the human body to adapt to many different conditions. Changes throughout the new edition include: Extensive chapter updates Clear and accessible 2-color diagrams Q&A sections online at www.wiley.com/go/fraynto facilitate learning Frayn has written a book which will continue to be an extremely valuable tool for scientists, practitioners and students working and studying across a broad range of allied health sciences including medicine, biochemistry, nutrition, dietetics, sports science and nursing.