Does being obese make someone crave food more (as with alterations to neurotransmitter function) or is the trigger for over-eating already within the brain’s neural network. New research suggests that the trigger is already in-built.
According to a new study from Finland (University of Turku), obesity risk factors are associated with changes in the brain function. The data from the study indicates that the function of neural networks for regulating satiety and appetite are altered prior to a person developing obesity.
The hypothalamus is a region of the brain that controls satiety, or satisfaction. There are two centres of the hypothalamus: one that controls feeding and one that controls satiety. Ideally, the function of the brain is to detect the status of energy stores and match energy intake with expenditure. When this does not occur, weight gain can occur. Many research teams have been attempting to assess why this happens.
The research enters an important area for societal controls over obesity. Prior to the research it had not been determined whether changes are visible in the brain before a person develops obesity and, if such changes exist, if such changes present an increased risk for future obesity.
The research investigated changes in the brain in pre-obesity through the study of insulin, opioid, and cannabinoid function in 41 men. The assessment was made through positron emission tomography.
The results revealed how family-related risk factors, including parents’ obesity or diabetes, were associated with altered insulin signalling in the subject’s brain. Also observed was reduced function of the opioid and cannabioid systems.
The significance of this finding is that disturbance in the neural networks that control satiation and appetite can be observed before a person develops obesity. The neural patterns of interest were apparent in widespread brain regions. This means early detection could be possible and this could lead to the development of prevention and treatment interventions for obesity.
The data also offers clues about the appropriate types of treatment, indicating that the brain and central nervous system are important targets in the treatment of obesity.
The research appears in the journal International Journal of Obesity, titled “Obesity risk is associated with altered cerebral glucose metabolism and decreased μ-opioid and CB1 receptor availability.”
