Study finds obesity can permanently alter the brain and make it difficult to lose weight

In our body, it is the intestine that is responsible for sending signals to the brain regarding the reception and processing of nutrients, which helps regulate eating behavior. But a recent study shows that Obesity dramatically decreases the brain responses that should develop after food intake.

Research conducted by amsterdam umc (University Medical Centers or Centro Médico Universitario in Spanish) and the U for Yale have shown that obese people have a reduced brain response to specific nutrients which can affect their eating behavior.

The results of the study were published June 12 in the journal Natural metabolism. The investigation observed the brain behavior of 60 people : 30 with a healthy weight and 30 with obesity, evaluating them through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), his response to intragastric infusions (direct injections into the stomach) of glucose, lipids and water.

According Mireille Serlie research leader and professor of endocrinology at UMC Amsterdam and Yale, in his study “we found that obese people release less dopamine in an area of ​​the brain important for the motivational aspect of food intake compared to people with a healthy body weight.

Serlie explained that dopamine is an important factor for feelings of satisfaction after food intake.

“Obese subjects also showed an ability to reduced response of brain activity after infusion of nutrients into the stomach “, maintained the professor, implying that the results perceived in the survey demonstrate a impairment in sensing nutrients in the stomach and intestine of people with this condition, which Serlie says could have “deep ” impact on your diet.

According to the researchers, this could be an explanation for the difficulty obese people have in losing weight, and it is that during the investigation obese participants were encouraged to follow a 12-week dietary program after which the same tests were carried out on those who lost at least the ten% of its original weight.

“Nothing changed: the brain still didn’t recognize satiety or feel unfulfilled “, explained the professor of endocrinology.

The results showed that, despite the weight loss, individuals still did not show a normal reaction before nutrient injections, i.e. the body was not receiving the necessary information to identify if it had the calories necessary for its functioning and therefore it was not granting the feeling of satiety.

“The fact that these responses in the brain are not restored after weight loss, may explain why most people regain the same after initially successful weight loss Serlie expressed.

However, he clarified that research regarding eating behavior is still in its infancy and that, despite the fact that this may be the explanation for some people’s excessive calorie consumption, The exact point at which the brain loses the ability to regulate eating has not been detected.

“We have to find where that point is… Because if you know when and how it happens, it may be possible to prevent it. Serly said.

The professor mentioned that it was possible to determine an important factor in the struggle of some people with obesity. “People still think that obesity is caused by a lack of willpower. “, he expressed. “I hope this information increases empathy for this fight. ”.

In Chile, obesity is a worrying problem, in terms of numbers, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) , 28% of adults and 14% of adolescents in Chile were living with obesity in 2016, and these figures are estimated to rise to 36% and 17% respectively by 2030.

Something that becomes even more complicated when we observe that, according to the First map of obesity in Chile , 66% of obese people suffer from anxiety and more than a third suffer from depression, which, according to experts, being together would complicate their care by requiring a multidisciplinary approach, the treatments of which can be detrimental to each other.

Medical societies call on obese people to seek specialized professionals, because its late treatment seriously affects health, not only physical, but also mental Specifically, experts warn that obese people are 1.4 times more likely to suffer from depression, in addition to the prevalence of obesity among people with mental illnesses is 60%.