Question

1. Describe in detail the role that the hypothalamus plays in determining whether or not you feel like eating Click here to enter answer 2. Name the key hormone that causes a feeling of hunger. Indicate where in the body it is produced and the process by which it operates. - Click here to enter answer- 3. Name the key hormone that causes a feeling of satiety. Indicate where in the body it is produced and the process by which it operates. -Click here to enter answer- 4. Name the four types of external forces that influence our eating habits and patterns and give an example of how you experience each in your life. Click here to enter answer 5. Explain the differences between hunger and appetite. Click here to enter answer-

Answer 1

1. the role of hypothalamus is to keep the body in homeostasis as much as possible. it is a small portion lying between pituitary and thalamus in our brain that connects endocrine system to nervous system. it has wide range of functions to control in our body. ranging from regulating body temperature to emotions, blood pressure regulation, sleep cycles, thirst, production of digestive juices. hunger signals come from two nerve centers within the hypothalamus that help control eating behavior: the lateral hypothalamus and the ventromedial hypothalamus. The lateral hypothalamus responds to any internal or external stimulation that causes you feel hungry. Once you've eaten, the ventromedial hypothalamus sends signals telling you when you're feeling full and have had enough

2. Ghrelin is the key hormones responsible for hunger and appetite and is primarily secreted in the linings of stomach and it increases hunger. when the stomach is empty its levels rise while they decrease when we have eaten.

3. leptin is the key hormone of satiety or starvation, secreted by fat cells, stomach, heart, placenta, and skeletal muscle and it decreases hunger. it mainly targets the brain, hypothalamus region.

ghrelin acts (as does Leptin) on the area of the brain known as the hypothalamus signaling both to increase hunger and to increase gastric acid secretion to prepare the body for food intake.

both the hormones are secreted from peripheral parts but have central effects ie, on brain.

4. the four external forces that influence eating habits and patterns are-

a. economic determinants like cost, income and availability- the money in the pocket matters a lot for an individuals food habits.we may know several healthy options of food but the cost of healthy food cant be afforded by everyone who wishes the same. if we take example of fruits itself, how many individuals in a low middle income countries can afford it. dry areas of the world dont have green leafy vegetables. in a single state vegetation patterns differ.

b. social determinants-culture, family, peers and meal patterns- our society, family, friends & relatives, geographical area and eating patterns as in number of meals a day, time of meal, amount of food all is spectacularly influenced and decided by our social settings. although it differs from individual to individual, different castes, religion all have peculiar preferences in eating.

c. physical determinants- access, education,skill (cooking etc), time- this factor can be more of seen in an office arrangement where people lack time to eat, they have no option of other than processed or canned food to take. many settlements are far of from heart of the city/town where actual & fresh availability is present. so they are liable to take whatever is easily available.

d. psychological determinants- mood swings, guilt, non specific anxiety, stress etc all contribute majorly to your eating habits. various studies says depression leads to more eating, while various in depth interviews suggest people's desire to eat reduces when there is something wrong in their life pertaining to some psychological stress or guilt.

5. hunger is a body signal or a physiological need to eat. it starts as stomach rumbling at first, and if you wait too long to eat, fatigue, light-headedness, weakness, the shakes, or irritability. The feeling of hunger is caused by low blood sugar levels and hormone changes that prompt us to eat while appetite is desire to eat; a cue from our brain, a psychological need.hence appetite can be understood as a luxury and choice to eat. sometimes appetite is triggered by hunger but mostly by cravings, when you see people eating, smell of food etc.