Preface

An increased prevalence of obesity and disordered eating behavior has been reported in both developed and developing countries. In affected people, obesity and its physical and mental health consequences evolve slowly over time. In combination with an increasingly aging population, obesity particularly threatens the health and functional independence of older adults.

Many lifestyle interventions, psychological treatments, and diets have been proposed to fight this growing epidemic. However, an overarching and generally accepted scientific concept of disorders associated with disturbed food intake is still lacking.

This book provides up-to-date scientific insight into the psychology and the pathophysiological outcomes of eating. It covers the influence of lifestyle, circadian rhythm, sleep, and fragrant odors on appetite and weight regulation; the impact of glucose, sucrose, lactate, and ketone bodies on the brain; the consequences of glycation stress on the skeletal muscle; clinically relevant facets of electrolyte balance, bile acid, and glucose metabolism; pathophysiological and therapeutic aspects of diabetes, hypertension, and steatohepatitis; and the consequences and outcomes of energy-depleted conditions and eating disorders.

We are very proud of the high scientific level of the contributions in this book. We believe this volume provides noteworthy information about food, eating behavior, and metabolic diseases.

> **Akikazu Takada** Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan

> > **Hubertus Himmerich** King's College London, UK

Section 1
