On July 9-10, 2014, the Institute of Medicine's Food Forum hosted a public workshop to explore emerging and rapidly developing research on relationships among the brain, the digestive system, and eating behavior. Drawing on expertise from the fields of nutrition and food science, animal and human physiology and behavior, and psychology and psychiatry as well as related fields, the purpose of the workshop was to (1) review current knowledge on the relationship between the brain and eating behavior, explore the interaction between the brain and the digestive system, and consider what is known about the brain's role in eating patterns and consumer choice; (2) evaluate current methods used to determine the impact of food on brain activity and eating behavior; and (3) identify gaps in knowledge and articulate a theoretical framework for future research. Relationships among the Brain, the Digestive System, and Eating Behavior summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR A WORKSHOP ON THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND EATING BEHAVIOR: KNOWLEDGE GAPS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
• FOOD FORUM
• Reviewers
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Interaction Between the Brain and the Digestive System
  • OVERVIEW OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
  • HOW TASTE RECEPTORS IN THE GUT INFLUENCE EATING BEHAVIOR
  • GASTROINTESTINAL PEPTIDES, VAGAL AFFERENT SYNAPSES, AND NEURAL MECHANISMS OF SATIATION
  • CONTEXTUAL INFLUENCES ON EATING BEHAVIOR
  • DISCUSSION WITH THE AUDIENCE
• 3. Assessing the Science Behind Methodologies Being Used to Characterize Food as Addictive
  • A BRIEF HISTORY OF FOOD INTAKE RESEARCH
  • WHAT IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES REVEAL ABOUT FOOD BEHAVIORS: PERSPECTIVE 1
  • WHAT IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES REVEAL ABOUT FOOD BEHAVIORS: PERSPECTIVE 2
  • ASSESSING THE VALIDITY OF QUESTIONNAIRES FOR FOOD BEHAVIORS AND ADDICTION
  • DSM-5: SUBSTANCE-RELATED AND ADDICTIVE DISORDERS
  • DISCUSSION WITH THE AUDIENCE
• 4. Future Directions: Is the Addiction Model for Drugs and Alcohol Appropriate for Food?
  • THE ADDICTION MODEL IS APPROPRIATE FOR USE WITH FOOD
  • THE ADDICTION MODEL IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR USE WITH FOOD
  • DISCUSSION WITH THE AUDIENCE
• 5. Integrating the Evidence
  • FOOD REWARD, APPETITE, SATIETY, AND OBESITY
  • CONCLUDING DISCUSSION WITH THE AUDIENCE
• References
• APPENDIXES
  • A Abbreviations and Acronyms
  • B Workshop Agenda
  • C Speaker Biographical Sketches

Rapporteur: Leslie Pray.

This activity was supported by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Contract Nos. HHSN26300002 (National Institutes of Health), HHSP233201200333P (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion), and 59-1235-2-114, CNPP_IOM_FY2013_01, FS_NAS_IOM_FY2013_01, and AG-3A94-P-13-0074 (U.S. Department of Agriculture) with the National Academy of Sciences. Additional support came from Abbott Laboratories, The Coca-Cola Company, ConAgra Foods, General Mills Inc., Kellogg Company, Kraft Foods, Mars Inc., McDonald's, Monsanto Company, Nestlé Nutrition, PepsiCo, and Tate & Lyle. The views presented in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the activity.

Suggested citation:

IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2015. Relationships among the brain, the digestive system, and eating behavior: Workshop summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NOTICE: The workshop that is the subject of this workshop summary was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.