In this episode, my guest is Dr. Zachary Knight, Ph.D., a professor of physiology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator. We discuss how the brain controls our sense of hunger, satiety, and thirst. He explains how dopamine levels impact our cravings and eating behavior (amount, food choices, etc) and how we develop and can change our food preferences and adjust how much we need to eat to feel satisfied.
We discuss factors that have led to the recent rise in obesity, such as interactions between our genes and the environment and the role of processed foods and food combinations. We also discuss the new class of medications developed for the treatment of obesity and diabetes, including the GLP-1 agonists semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro). We discuss how these medications work to promote weight loss, the source of their side effects, and the newer compounds soon to overcome some of those side effects, such as muscle loss.
Dr. Knight provides an exceptionally clear explanation for our sense of hunger, thirst, and food cravings that translates to practical knowledge to help listeners better understand their relationship to food, food choices, and meal size to improve their diet and overall health.
For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
00:00:00 Dr. Zachary Knight
00:02:38 Sponsors: BetterHelp, Helix Sleep & Waking Up
00:07:07 Hunger & Timescales
00:11:28 Body Fat, Leptin, Hunger
00:17:51 Leptin Resistance & Obesity
00:20:52 Hunger, Food Foraging & Feeding Behaviors, AgRP Neurons
00:30:26 Sponsor: AG1
00:32:15 Body Weight & Obesity, Genes & POMC Neurons
00:39:54 Obesity, Genetics & Environmental Factors
00:46:05 Whole Foods, Ultra-Processed Foods & Palatability
00:49:32 Increasing Whole Food Consumption, Sensory Specific Satiety & Learning
00:58:55 Calories vs. Macronutrients, Protein & Salt
01:02:23 Sponsor: LMNT
01:03:58 Challenges of Weight Loss: Hunger & Energy Expenditure
01:09:50 GLP-1 Drug Development, Semaglutide, Ozempic, Wegovy
01:19:03 GLP-1 Drugs: Muscle Loss, Appetite Reduction, Nausea
01:23:24 Pharmacologic & Physiologic Effects; GLP-1 Drugs, Additional Positive Effects
01:30:14 GLP-1-Plus Development, Tirzepatide, Mounjaro, AMG 133
01:34:49 Alpha-MSH & Pharmacology
01:40:41 Dopamine, Eating & Context
01:46:01 Dopamine & Learning, Water Content & Food
01:53:23 Salt, Water & Thirst
02:03:27 Hunger vs. Thirst
02:05:46 Dieting, Nutrition & Mindset
02:09:39 Tools: Improving Diet & Limiting Food Intake
02:14:15 Anti-Obesity Drug Development
02:17:03 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
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