Research
Hormonal
Central serotonergic signaling acts as an anorexigenic mechanism in the homeostatic circuitry by integrating metabolic signals to suppress food intake when energy needs are met, whereas peripheral serotonergic signaling promotes energy absorption and storage.
Your brain uses serotonin to decide when to stop eating. This process happens in specific brain areas that listen to your body's energy signals. If this system is disrupted, you might eat more than you need, contributing to weight gain. Understanding this helps explain why some medications affecting serotonin can impact weight.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In the homeostatic circuitry, serotonergic signaling contributes to the integration of metabolic signals that convey the body's energy status and facilitates the ability to suppress food intake when homeostatic needs have been met. In contrast, peripherally acting serotonin promotes energy absorption and storage.
Why this rating
The paper is a comprehensive review citing extensive animal and human neuroimaging studies.
Source
Serotonin, food intake, and obesity
Katy A. van Galen et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2021
DOI 10.1111/obr.13210
narrative_reviewCited 189×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Obesity is associated with disturbed serotonergic signaling, specifically decreased central serotonin release and altered receptor availability, which may contribute to the failure to suppress food intake.Good
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are associated with an increased risk of long-term weight gain, contrasting with their short-term anorexigenic effects.Good
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