The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts That Make Us Overeat

by Stephan Guyenet

He had also been impressed by a number of studies suggesting that the human body vigorously resists large, short-term changes in weight brought about by underfeeding or overfeeding. One of the earliest and most influential studies was the Minnesota Starvation Experiment conducted by the prolific nutrition researcher Ancel Keys in the latter years of World War II. The goal was to understand the effects of starvation on the human body and mind. Over the course of six months of semistarvation, thirty-six young male conscientious objectors lost approximately one-quarter of their initial body weight. While this weight loss was no surprise, what happened after their food restriction was lifted is more interesting: Due primarily to a prodigious appetite, their body weights and adiposity rebounded rapidly. As they regained weight, their appetites normalized, and they eventually settled close to their original weights. It seemed as if a powerful internal control system was regulating their appetite and adiposity.