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Draft:Selfish Brain Theory

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  • Comment: The first source is self-published by the creator of the theory and does not help establish the notability of the subject. Utopes (talk / cont) 12:14, 16 August 2024 (UTC)

The Selfish-Brain-Theory, developed by obesity specialist and diabetologist Achim Peters since 1998 and first published in 2004, posits that the human brain prioritizes its own energy needs over those of other organs. This “selfish” behavior of the brain is thought to be a novel explanation for the development of obesity.[1]

The selfish brain theory was discussed in a 2007 publication on insulin resistance as a new concept at the time – along with three alternative concepts – and the possible connection of this theory to the understanding of obesity was mentioned.[2] If one imagines the energy supply of the human organism as a supply chain, which runs from the outside world with its offers and possibilities of food intake via the body to the brain as an end consumer and control organ, then obesity would be caused by a traffic jam in the supply chain. This is characterized by a disproportionate accumulation of energy in fatty tissue or blood.

The selfish brain theory is also discussed as a cause of comorbid metabolic disorders in neuropsychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder.[3]

References

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  1. ^ A. Peters et al.: The selfish brain: competition for energy resources. In: Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 28, 2004, pp. 143–180
  2. ^ P. Wang, E.C. Mariman: Insulin resistance in an energy-centered perspective. In: Physiol Behav., 94, 2007, pp. 198–205
  3. ^ Yamagata AS, Mansur RB, Rizzo LB, Rosenstock T, McIntyre RS, Brietzke E. Selfish brain and selfish immune system interplay: A theoretical framework for metabolic comorbidities of mood disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 Jan;72:43-49. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.11.010. Epub 2016 Nov 18. PMID: 27871787.