Scientists have found that the brains of overweight people share a common trait
Scientists from the University of Cambridge conducted a study to see if there is anything in common in the brains of overweight people. To do this, they studied the hypothalamus in volunteers of different weights using an algorithm that analyzed MRI scans of the brain. (The hypothalamus is a part of the brain that plays a key role in regulating appetite, metabolism, sleep, emotions, and other important bodily functions.)It turns out that overweight people have a noticeably larger hypothalamus than those with normal weight. Particularly prominent are the areas that control appetite, that is, feelings of hunger and satisfaction with food.
It is still unclear what is the root cause: either excess weight causes an increase in the hypothalamus, or a large hypothalamus "feeds" increased appetite. Although, according to scientists, the first option is more likely, but this has yet to be proven. And the study of scientists from Italy has revealed in the brain of people with obesity another feature. They found increased interaction of the so-called ventral region of the brain covering with part of the visual cortex, responsible for processing images of food.
In overweight people, the hypothalamus is noticeably larger than in those with normal weight. And at the same time, connections to the inferior frontal gyrus, which regulates cognitive control, were reduced. Because of the imbalance in connections, obese people have increased cravings for food, especially high-calorie foods, and decreased control over it.