Obesity--a state of reduced sympathetic activity and normal or high adrenal activity (the autonomic and adrenal hypothesis revisited).

In this paper I have briefly reviewed the effect of nutrition on the sympathetic nervous system. I have also examined the changes in sympathetic activity in experimental models of obesity and leanness. Finally, I have tried to relate these two sets of information to the regulation of energy store by the autonomic nervous system in a nutrient balance model for regulation of food intake.