Lets review. Destroying the ventromedial region of the hypothalamus produces a very fat rat.
Destroying the lateral region of the hypothalamus produces a rat that will starve if not force fed
Even then, the rat will never regain its normal weight
Stimulating these regions generally produces the opposite effect of destruction
Interestingly rats with the destruction of the ventromedial hypothalamus do not gain weight forever
nor do rats with damage to the lateral hypothalamus continue to lose weight
After a time, they establish a new stable weight called a set point
Researchers have concluded that these areas of the hypothalamus are part of a large network of brain structures that interact to control hunger and maintain a stable body weight