ABSTRACT
The central nervous system (CNS) is critically involved in the integrative control of countless processes in vertebrates. Energy balance and dysfunctions in such balance that lead to the development and maintenance of obesity are tightly coordinated by the CNS through its detection of a diverse array of afferent signals and environmental cues. The CNS is responsible for the integration of these stimuli, along with intrinsic motivations, preferences, and aversions, and the subsequent generation of appropriate efferent signals to peripheral effector tissues via multiple neuroendocrine and autonomic systems. In this chapter, we highlight a few example systems and evidence implicating afferent, integrative, and efferent dysfunctions in the CNS-mediated control of energy balance before and during obesity. Further, we outline current concepts involving CNS mechanisms that are proposed to explain the resistance to weight loss and maintenance after obesity is established and discuss some of the maladaptive consequences of obesity upon the CNS.
