Brain reveals risk for developing obesity: Study
Dec 28, 2021
New Delhi, Dec 28 (ANI): A study has found that obesity risk factors of family background are associated with changes in brain function. The research has been published in the 'International Journal of Obesity'.Obesity is a pressing public health concern worldwide, and new interventions to prevent and treat obesity are needed. Obesity is linked to changes in brain insulin sensitivity and neurotransmitter function. These changes may explain increased appetite and overeating. The results showed that family-related risk factors such as parents' obesity or diabetes were associated with altered insulin signalling in the subject's brain as well as reduced function of the opioid and cannabinoids systems. Disturbance in the neural networks controlling satiation and appetite can therefore be observed already before a person develops obesity, and these brain changes are connected to family-related risk factors of obesity. The results may have implications for the development of prevention and treatment interventions for obesity. They show that the brain and central nervous system are important targets in the treatment of obesity.
