Of course you do know what the set point means, just think of your refrigerator: it’s the point you set to maintain the inside temperature you want.

What is this plateau? Is it real or all in our heads? Let us learn all about it and start with the Body Weight Set Point. But even before, do you know what is any set point?

Of course you do know what the set point means, just think of your refrigerator: it’s the point you set to maintain the inside temperature you want. To maintain this temperature, a refrigerator needs a few simple hardware gadgets.

1. a thermometer to measure the actual temperature in the refrigerator;
2. some wire to send the reading to the thermostat;
3. a motor to produce more cool air (if needed);
4. a controlling device that reads temperature information and compares it with the temperature you wanted.

If the actual temperature is not what you meant, one of two commands go to the motor: make more cool air or to stop doing it. There can always be outside disturbances in the system – you kid forgot to shut the refrigerator’s door, or you switched on your AC- but the thermostat is designed to counteract them.

Though different in details, absolutely same parts make up the human body’s thermostat.

As technical systems can control not only temperature but, say, humidity as well, human body’s can control any parameter including blood sugar level, body fat, blood pressure and the like.

What is the body-weight set point?

Body-weight set point is Nature’s idea of what amount of fat you need. The human body’s “thermostat” for body fat does have same principal elements:

1. a “thermometer” for body fat (“lipometer”) to measure the actual fat content in the body;

2. some “wire” (“chemosensory pathways”, including those sensing Leptin) to send the reading to the “thermostat” (“Lipostat”);

3. an “engine” to produce more fat (if needed);

4. a controlling device that reads fat information and compares it with the set fat Nature wanted.

If the fat reading is incorrect one of two commands go to the “engine”: eat more or to stop eating.

As with your refrigerator, there can always be outside disturbances in the system but the system is designed to counteract them. We expend calories physical work, for body heat, to rebuild the body’s tissues after damages or to renew them on regular basis, like skin tissue or mucous membranes do. It takes a lot of energy to produce immune bodies or blood cells, etc. A lot of energy goes into our fat deposits as energy reserves. To stay healthy, we need to maintain a certain, quite precise, percentage of body-weight as a fat deposit.

The only way to get calories is to eat. That is simple – Thou shalt not overeat. Then where do our problems with weight come from? Researchers are making tremendous efforts to answer these questions. Is the system able to automatically regulate itself? What happens when one is allowed to eat as much as he or she is pleases? It depends.

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