10/23/08

Ex Phys MM: Obesity & The Science of Appetite

Your assignment will be to produce a product that diagrams and explains the following steps. Evolution has programmed us to eat as much as we can, whenever we can (ancient humans never knew when they were going to have dinner again. It was best to gorge when they could). Breaking that cycle means thwarting overlapping systems that try to keep you fat. A whole network of signals contributes to weight homeostasis, and other key players are being discovered on an ongoing basis. If we are to make a difference in reversing the trend of obesity and continue the trend in fitness, we must understand the major players involved in your appetite. Each step below represents the “key players:”

1.I’m hungry: pangs
2.Looks good: senses (time, sight, smell, temperature)
3.Eat: ghrelin
4.Function: purpose/function those foods have (carbs,prot.,lipids)
5.Slow down: stomach stretching
6.Stop: cholecystokinin (CCK)
7.Stop!!! PYY and GLP-1
8.Use or store? PPAR’s
9.I’ve had enough: leptin

You must first research the players above and understand their exact role in appetite (“dig” for scientific information!) Your product will be a movie in MovieMaker/Premiere/Flash (animated or skit or combination of both): may work with a partner(s)

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