ABSTRACT
Concepts for the control of food intake and the idea of regulation of body weight have been proposed for well over 50 years (Kennedy 1953, Mayer 1953, Mellinkoff et al. 1956). The debate has been based mainly on animal experiments (usually rodents) often using brain interventions. The proposed central mechanisms purported to control food intake have undergone a series of progressive refinements arising from technical advances in neuroscience. The mechanisms discussed in scientific circles today bear little resemblance to the simple notions of “hunger and satiety centers” that were the pinnacle of scientific understanding over 60 years ago.
