Celebrating a Half-Century of the Columbia University Seminar on Appetitive Behavior

Co-sponsored by:  NutriSci, Inc. and The University Seminar on Appetitive Behavior.

A brief history of the seminar:

The Appetitive Seminar had its first meeting on March 9, 1972. It was created to combine a number of disciplines to study appetite. As the founder, Dr. Theodore VanItallie stated in a letter (16 November 1971) proposing the seminar: “The regulation of food intake and its epiphenomena represent fundamental problems in human biology and physiology. How food intake (appetite) is regulated is still poorly understood and should remain a subject of intense discussion for a long time to come.” Dr. VanItallie was prescient because, in the years that followed, “appetite” has not merely flourished as a subject of intense discussion; it has become a journal, and several scientific societies and groups have formed to provide forums for scientific communication.

It is fitting that our 50th Anniversary will include talks covering a broad range of topics within the scope of appetitive behaviors, including neural and metabolic control of feeding, taste perceptions and flavor-based learning, circadian regulation of eating behaviors, and a role for appetitive behaviors in precision nutrition. Furthermore, we will describe the history of this seminar and its place in the broader history of the field. The list of speakers is comprised of scientists of various career stages and expertise, and the list of topics nicely represents the key goal of our seminar: To cross disciplinary boundaries to develop a comprehensive understanding of determinants and consequences of eating and drinking behavior.

Symposium program committee:

John Glendinning, Chair

Allan Geliebter, Co-Chair

Faris Zuraikat, Rapporteur

Harry Kissileff, Past-Chair

Blandine Laferrere, Advisor

Anthony Sclafani, Advisor