Chapters 7 13 Module Notes: This is Your Brain on Food

Obesity
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Define and explain the following concepts: neurons, “encoded” for palatability, “orosensory self-stimulation,” opioid circuitry, “nucleus accumbens,” “taste-specific satiety,” “hedonic hot spot,” dopamine, “attentional bias,” “conditioned stimulus,” “incentive salience,” “hot stimulus,” “functional connectivity,” “action schemata,” and habits.
Neurons are the most basic parts of the brain. These are highly connected and help with passing the signals from one part of the body to next. The neurons tend to be encoded for palatability whenever they respond to rewarding foods. Orosensory self-stimulation, on the other hand refers to cyclical process, where one eats foods that are delicious, the brain then tells then to crave for more. The opioid circuitry, is the primary pressure system in the body and it also includes the neurons. The nucleus accumbens is the center for reward found in the brain (Kessler text: Chapters 7 through 13, n.d.). Taste-specific satiety, refers to the feeling of being satisfied when one eats a certain amount of a specific food type. The hedonic hot spot, causes to really like something above the average liking. Dopamine is a brain chemical that motivates the behavior to desire food and even impels towards foods. Attention bias refers to the fact that people tend to pay more attention, to the stimuli that is most rewarding (Module Notes, n.d.). Conditioned stimuli are associated with the brain being stimulated by cues such as smell of food. Incentive salience is a learned association activated cues and a desire for reward. Hot stimulus on the other hand lights up the center of the brain causing response to stimuli. Functional connectivity refers to the changes in patterns responses in various parts of the brain. Action schemata are the imprints in the brain associated with certain actions. Habits are quick repeatable responses of the brain (Module Notes, n.d.).
Explain the roles of each of these factors with regard to eating, overeating, and obesity.
Neurons are responsible for sending signals within the brain when there is a cure for food. When neurons are encoded for palatability they tend to contribute to people overeating and therefore obesity. Where the brain now forms a cyclical process of wanting more food, people will eat more and thus grow overweight, with reference to the orosensory self-stimulation. Where the opioid circuitry is triggered this further increases the chances of a person overeating and becoming obese, this is connected to the nucleus acccumbens, where one eats their favorite food and they feel a...