Damage to the lateral hypothalamus in rats can cause them to starve to death, while damage to ventromedial hypothalamus will cause them to eat and eat and eat.
The area of the hypothalamus known as the lateral hypothalamus is thought to play a role in the control of eating. Animals with lateral hypothalamic lesions experience fasting and weight loss. Food intake rises when that area of the brain is stimulated.
The ventromedial hypothalamus is a part of the hypothalamus that is mostly responsible for satiety emotions. Rats consume to the point of severe obesity in trials in which the VMH is damaged. The VMH is involved in thermoregulation as well.
Therefore, damage to the lateral hypothalamus in rats can cause them to starve to death, while damage to ventromedial hypothalamus will cause them to eat and eat and eat.