November 2014
Brain chemistry may explain eating habits in response to
triggers
NIH study finds differences between obese and lean adults
Differences in brain chemistry may make people considered
obese more easily influenced by food triggers than people considered lean. A
study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that the chemical
dopamine acts differently in the brains of lean and obese adults. In people
with obesity, dopamine acts in ways that may lead them to eat more and enjoy
their food less than people who are lean.
The study included 43 men and women ages 18 to 45 years with
varying amounts of body fat. Researchers conducted positron emission tomography
(PET) scans of subjects’ brains and asked them to answer questions about eating
and triggers such as food advertisements and aromas.
The scans showed that dopamine acted differently in the
brains of lean and obese participants. Compared to lean people, obese people
had more dopamine activity in the part of the brain that helps form habits.
Participants considered obese had less dopamine activity in the part of the brain
that controls rewards. This type of brain chemistry may make people who are
obese more likely to eat out of habit, rather than hunger. It also may make
food seem less rewarding.
It is not clear if the observed differences in brain
chemistry happened before people became obese or as a result of obesity. But
these differences could make it harder for people with obesity to control their
weight.
To learn more, check out the full news release.
Dopamine signaling is thought to play a
central role in the processes of reward, motivation, and habit formation. The
orange/yellow regions indicate where brain dopamine activity was positively
related to obesity. These areas include a structure that mediates the process of habit
formation. The blue regions show where dopamine activity was negatively related
to obesity and include
a brain region that controls reward and motivation.
Get
heart healthy during National Diabetes Month
November
is National Diabetes Month and an ideal time to raise awareness about diabetes
and healthy changes people can make to prevent or delay
the onset of diabetes.
Throughout the month, the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) and its partners
are encouraging people with diabetes to “Be
Smart About Your Heart: Control the ABCs of Diabetes.” This initiative helps people with diabetes learn how to
lower their risk of heart disease by managing the diabetes ABCs: the A1C test
(used to diagnose diabetes and track blood sugar in people with diabetes),
Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, and Stop Smoking.
On the same note, the American Heart
Association’s and American Stroke Association’s interactive tool, My Diabetes
Health Assessment, allows people with diabetes to enter their health
information, such as A1C level, heart conditions, physical activity level, and
smoking status. The tool then lists factors that may make the person more
likely to develop heart disease and calculates the person’s chances of having a
heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years. It suggests goals and allows users to set
their own. Throughout the assessment, brief notes about the benefits of working
toward goals and tips for achieving them help users chart a course toward
better health.
For
more about diabetes, visit the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, the
American Diabetes Association, and the American Association of Diabetes
Educators. For more from NDEP, check out its website. You can also find more
information and resources from the websites of the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association.
Watch for the next issue of the WIN Notes Update for …
…tools
and resources to help you have a healthy holiday season.
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