Brain-body communication in metabolic control

A thorough understanding of the mechanisms controlling energy homeostasis is needed to prevent and treat metabolic morbidities. While the contribution of or-gans such as the liver, muscle, adipose tissue, and pancreas to the regulation of energy has received wide attention, less is known about the interplay with the nervous system. Here, we highlight the role of the nervous systems in regulating metabolism beyond the classic hypothalamic endocrine signaling models and discuss the contribution of circadian rhythms, higher brain regions, and socio-demographic variables in the energy equation. We infer that interdisciplinary ap-proaches are key to conceptually advancing the current research frontier and devising innovative therapies to prevent and treat metabolic disease.