Interpreting, forecasting, and controlling feeding behaviour using high-resolution data.

Better understanding of feeding behaviour will be vital in reducing obesity and metabolic syndrome, but we lack a standard model that captures the complexity of feeding behaviour. We construct an accurate stochastic model of rodent feeding at the bout level in order to perform quantitative behavioural analysis. Analysing the different effects on feeding behaviour of PYY 3-36, lithium chloride, GLP-1 and leptin shows the precise behavioural changes caused by each anorectic agent, and demonstrates that these changes do not mimic satiety. In the ad libitum fed state during the light period, meal initiation is governed by complete stomach emptying, whereas in all other conditions there is a graduated response. We show how robust homeostatic control of feeding thwarts attempts to reduce food intake, and how this might be overcome. In silico experiments suggest that introducing a minimum intermeal interval or modulating gastric emptying can be as effective as anorectic drug administration.