Subjective Sensations in Obesity and Related Chronic Diseases

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Due to the high prevalence of overweight and obesity and the consequent health risks, it has become a major global public health problem. Meanwhile, obesity may be accompanied by a range of related chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. One of the causes of the obesity pandemic is the loss of effective appetite control, resulting in distorted energy balance. Appetite control operates through two systems, the homeostatic system and the hedonic system. The homeostatic system controls energy intake and the hedonic system controls sensory pleasure in eating, and they together regulate hunger, satiety and other subjective sensations, as well as certain food choices and preferences. However, the hedonic system can operate independently of homeostatic signaling when food is very palatable and readily available. In addition, obese people display hedonic hunger, a greater liking for sweet flavors, higher food craving than non-obese people, which may lead to weight gain. Therefore, it is an important entry point for weight reduction or intervening in associated chronic diseases by down-regulating the appetite of obese people.

We welcome, but are not limited to, submissions related to:

(1) Epidemiology and severeness of subjective sensations such as hedonic hunger, satiety, greater food fortification in population with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease;

(2) Associations between subjective sensations and obesity, related chronic diseases;

(3) Mechanisms of subjective sensations on obesity and related chronic diseases;

(4) Methods of subjective sensations regulation.