A question on hypothalamic thermoreugulation

[Carlos Arzamendi]

Greetings,

 

I'm new to this forum, and find the idea behind it to be quite appealing. Discussing scientific ideas fleshes them out and strengthens them considerably. Anyway, back on topic: I've been trying to elucidate which mechanisms of thermoregulation could be exploited to promote weight loss in overweight and obese patients. Thermoregulation, contrary to popular belief, appears to be a series of interconnected processes, which condition a thermic point of balance and not the other way around. However, it stands to reason that those individual thermoregulatory loops that pertain to, for instance, core temperature, exert more influence on the thermoregulatory efferent pathways born of the hypothalamus.

Considering the above, does anyone know precisely which receptors exert this major influence on body temperature control? If so, where exactly are they, and can they be stimulated through the use of cold packs?

 

My final question is more of a long shot, but could be worth exploring: Can hypothalamic thermoregulation be induced by directly cooling the brain's blood supply?

 

I appreciate any help given, and thank you for your answers in advance

[imatfaal]

the hypothalamus gets its cues on temperature from both thermoreceptors in the hypothalamus (ie brain blood temp) and via nerve from other parts of the body - I am not sure what the balance is nor which gets preference. Lowing the core temperature - ie induced hypothermia lowers metabolic rate; this is the opposite of what you want to achieve.

 

There is a foolproof and safe way to lower obesity level - eat less, better diet, and exercise more. Mucking around with basic homeostatic mechanisms at a very low level is dangerous and an extravagent waste when calorie control and diet can solve the problem.

[Carlos Arzamendi]

Dieting and excercise are not enough, as evidenced by the BMI of western nations. Novel approaches are required, in order to overcome these problems. Additionally, the body's defense mechanisms make these two measures rather ineffective in the long run. Obesity is still around, and traditional treatment has failed. New approaches are needed, that can't be denied.

[StringJunky]

Obesity, for most I think, is down to a sedentary lifestyle and motorised transport. A case in point, although only a single data point, is that I''ve always been 10 stones. I was very active and my main modes of transport were walking and biking. From last November, for one reason and another, I'm pretty much a couch potato. My diet has not changed and yet I am now 12 stone 4lb. I've gone from being at the bottom of the BMI range to just over it in six months. a good stone of it is around my waist.

[imatfaal]

Dieting and excercise are not enough, as evidenced by the BMI of western nations. Novel approaches are required, in order to overcome these problems. Additionally, the body's defense mechanisms make these two measures rather ineffective in the long run. Obesity is still around, and traditional treatment has failed. New approaches are needed, that can't be denied.

 

Your argument boils down to "people are obese therefore a correct diet and exercise must make them obese" - you need to show that (barring very unusual cases) that eating a decent calorie restricted diet and taking good exercise will lead to obesity; for your guidance it doesn't.

 

What defence mechanisms?

 

Traditional treatment is difficult but always works - it becomes very difficult when fragile self-control is tested in the face of constant advertisments for food and the easy availability of rapid calorie intake - especially when combined with a lifestyle in which physical exercise is - for many - a life style choice rather than a dire necessity. We can make this choice to lose weight much easier through education about food types, portion control, small quotidian activity changes etc. - but these are facilitations of the basis treatment not different treatments.

 

And yes your assertion can be denied when the new approaches involve attempts to fiddle with basic homoeostatic regulation. There are lots of things we can do as a society to help those who want to lose weight to stick to a restricted diet and better physical regimen - pretending that an incredibly invasive bodily intervention is a good way forward is adding to the delusion that obesity is not caused by consuming more calories than are expended.

[StringJunky]

 

Your argument boils down to "people are obese therefore a correct diet and exercise must make them obese" - you need to show that (barring very unusual cases) that eating a decent calorie restricted diet and taking good exercise will lead to obesity; for your guidance it doesn't.

 

What defence mechanisms?

 

Traditional treatment is difficult but always works - it becomes very difficult when fragile self-control is tested in the face of constant advertisments for food and the easy availability of rapid calorie intake - especially when combined with a lifestyle in which physical exercise is - for many - a life style choice rather than a dire necessity. We can make this choice to lose weight much easier through education about food types, portion control, small quotidian activity changes etc. - but these are facilitations of the basis treatment not different treatments.

 

And yes your assertion can be denied when the new approaches involve attempts to fiddle with basic homoeostatic regulation. There are lots of things we can do as a society to help those who want to lose weight to stick to a restricted diet and better physical regimen - pretending that an incredibly invasive bodily intervention is a good way forward is adding to the delusion that obesity is not caused by consuming more calories than are expended.

I think the OP is trying to find an effort-free solution to obesity.

[jamieoverton727]

Counting calories and excercise are insufficient, as prove by the BMI of western countries. Novel methodologies are needed, keeping in mind the end goal to beat these issues. Moreover, the body's protection instruments make these two measures fairly inadequate over the long haul. Corpulence is still around, and customary treatment has fizzled. New methodologies are required, that can't be denied.