Obesity: Overeating May be Caused by Brain Hormone Deficiency

First Posted: Jul 24, 2015 12:07 PM EDT
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What causes overeating? It could be down to a brain hormone deficiency. Scientists have found that an absence of a hormone in your brain causes you to overeat purely for pleasure.

In this latest study, the researchers examined GLP-1 peptides, which are small sequences of amino acids that have many functions, including how our bodies regulate eating behaviors. They are secreted from cells in both the small intestine and the brain and are supposed to let our brain know when we are satisfied and should stop eating.

In this case, the researchers bred mice that had a GLP-1 deficiency. This revealed some surprising insights.

"The mice in which the GLP-1 deficiency was induced ate beyond the need for calories and showed an increase preference for high fat food," said Vincent Mirabella, co-author of the new study, in a news release. "Conversely when we enhanced GLP-1 signaling in the brains of mice we were able to block the preferences of high fat foods."

Until now, it's been unclear how the GLP-1 released in the brain contributed to appetite regulation. This new study, though, reveals that activating the GLP-1 hormone in the mesolimbic system hindered communication between neurons which communicate to control reward behaviors, including eating. The result was that mice consumed less food altogether and, more important, lost the preference for high fat food.

"These are the same areas of the brain that controls other addictive behaviors like drug abuse and nicotine addiction," said Zhiping Pang, senior author of the new study. "We believe that our work has broad implications in understanding how GPL-1 functions to influence motivational behaviors."

The findings are published in the journal Cell Reports.

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