DEVELOPING A MODEL OF STRESS-INDUCED OBESITY

Emory University, Atlanta GA

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Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This study is designed to develop procedures to better understand the neural mechanisms for the ingestion of comfort foods. The notion that the ingestion of calorically dense comfort foods to relieve socio-environmental stressors contributes to the obesity epidemic is gaining acceptance. To date, this has showed that socio-environmental factors, notably the psychosocial stress associated with social subordination, affects appetite in female rhesus monkeys. Monkeys are housed socially and those of subordinate social status show behavioral and endocrine indices of stress. Females had a computer chip implanted subcutaneously in the wrist that, when reaching into an automated feeding dispenser would identify the monkey and deliver one pellet of food. In this way, food intake was monitored 24 hours per day, seven days a week. In the previous year, we showed that when given a choice between the typical low fat, high fiber monkey diet (LCD) and a diet high in fat and sugar (HCD), dominant females prefer the HCD but continue to eat the LCD as well. When presented with only the LCD, dominant animals consume the same number of calories as they did during the choice condition. Subordinates too preferred the HCD but consumed nearly twice as many calories during the choice condition as did the dominant animals. When the choice was removed, subordinates continued to consume significantly more calories of the less preferred LCD. Behavioral studies indicated that upon the removal of the HCD diet, anxiety-like behavior increased significantly. These studies are providing insights into how socio-environmental variable may contribute to excess food consumption and obesity in humans.