E-Mail karger@karger.com www.karger.com/anm Appetite and satiety demonstrate a remarkable heterogeneity among humans, with a spectrum contributing to both anorexia and hyperphagia. Key insights Obesity in childhood and in later life may be the result of devel- opmentally programmed hyperphagia. Recent data strongly suggest that maternal and/or fetal under- or overnutrition predisposes the offspring to become hyperphagic. Infants born small for gestational age and those born to obese mothers are at risk. Current knowledge Appetite is regulated by a complex circuit of hypothalamic nu- clei involved in the generation of appetite versus satiety signals. The arcuate nucleus (ARC) is the predominant appetite regula- tory site in the brain and receives signals from different areas of the brain and other tissues. The ARC contains at least two populations of neurons with opposing actions on food intake. Specific alterations in the fetal metabolic/energy environment can alter the equilibrium between orexigenic and anorexigenic neuronal systems, thus affecting appetite and satiety. Practical implications Imbalances in maternal nutrition (under- or overnutrition, low-protein or high-fat diets) result in a cascade of genetic, bio- chemical and cellular effects that can ultimately bias the appe- tite regulatory networks of the offspring towards hyperphagia. Specific epigenomic studies are necessary in order to pinpoint the genomic sites that act as targets for early nutritional effects. Ann Nutr Metab 2014;64(suppl 1):36–44 Developmental Programming of Appetite/Satiety by Michael G. Ross and Mina Desai Maternal nutrition affects appetite in the offspring. Perturbations in maternal nutrition can alter nutrient sensors, neuroendocrine levels and signaling, neurogenesis and neuropeptide levels. These pathways interact and ultimately influence appetite. FOCUS © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel Maternal nutrition  Undernutrition  Low-protein diet  Overnutrition  High-fat diet Appetite Neuropeptides  NPY/POMC Neurogenesis  Proliferation/ differentiation Neuroendocrine system  Leptin/insulin Nutrient sensors  SIRT1/AMPK A greater understanding of the development of appetite regu- latory pathways opens the door for novel interventions for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Recommended reading Weaver IC, Cervoni N, Champagne FA, et al: Epigenetic program- ming by maternal behavior. Nat Neurosci 2004;7:847–854.