title: A temperature hypothesis of hypothalamus-driven obesity.
abstract: Obesity is a metabolic state in which excess fat is accumulated in peripheral tissues, including the white adipose tissue, muscle, and liver. Sustained obesity has profound consequences on one's life, which can span from superficial psychological symptoms to serious co-morbidities that may dramatically diminish both the quality and length of life. Obesity and related metabolic disorders account for the largest financial burden on the health care system. Together, these issues make it imperative that obesity be cured or prevented. Despite the increasing wealth of knowledge on the etiology of obesity (see below), there is no successful medical strategy that is available for the vast majority of patients. We suggest that brain temperature control may be a crucial component in obesity development and that shortcutting the brain metabolic centers by hypothalamic temperature alterations in a non-invasive remote manner will provide a revolutionary approach to the treatment of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Yale Program in Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut ; Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut ; Department of Neurobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut ; Departments of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Tamas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Horvath
authors.affiliation: Departments of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut ; The John B. Pierce Laboratory, New Haven Connecticut.
authors.forename: Nina S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Stachenfeld
authors.affiliation: Yale Program in Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut ; Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut ; Department of Neurobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut ; Departments of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: circuit activity; hypothalamus; obesity; temperature regulation