Research paper
Rodin J. Insulin levels, hunger, and food intake: an example of feedback loops in body weight regulation. Health Psychology. 1985;4(1):1-24. doi:10.1037//0278-6133.4.1.1
Why we cite it
An early synthesis of the bidirectional relationship between insulin and eating behavior. It argues that insulin is not just a passive response to food intake — environmental and cognitive cues trigger insulin release before eating begins (cephalic phase), which then increases hunger and intake, creating a self-reinforcing feedback loop. The project uses this framework in support of its position that physiological mechanisms shape eating decisions; override conscious willpower is the project’s gloss, not the paper’s (marked 2026-09-19). Referenced by kas01 (cephalic insulin) and kif02 (constant eating problems).
About the author
Judith Rodin, PhD is a psychologist who earned her doctorate from Columbia University in 1970. At Yale, she held the Philip R. Allen Professorship of Psychology with joint appointments in medicine and psychiatry, and served as department chair, dean of the Graduate School, and provost. Worked in behavioral medicine and health psychology, in obesity research bridging biological and psychological factors (”Pioneer … with an international reputation” removed 2026-09-19 as a ranking). Later became the first woman president of an Ivy League university (University of Pennsylvania) and served as president of the Rockefeller Foundation (2005-2017). 124 citations for this paper (Semantic Scholar; undated).