Recent studies suggest that brain responses to nutrients are weakened in individuals suffering from obesity, a condition that persists even after weight loss. The research exposed that compared to people with a healthy weight, obese individuals produced less dopamine in a critical brain area for motivating food intake. Besides, upon nutrient infusion into the stomach, those who were obese demonstrated lessened brain activity. This constant lack of improvement in brain response after weight loss may account for why a majority of people regain weight after an initial successful weight loss, according to the study.
The collaborative research from Amsterdam UMC and Yale University brings to light that obesity is connected to a decreased brain response to nutrients. This reduction, characterized by lower dopamine release and decreased nutrient-sensing activity, could pose challenges in sustaining weight loss.
Researchers from Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC) and Yale University, in a paper published today in Nature Metabolism, claim that brain responses to specific nutrients are weakened in individuals with obesity and do not improve after weight loss.
“Long-lasting brain adaptations appear to occur in individuals with obesity, potentially impacting eating behavior. We discovered that obese individuals produce less dopamine in a brain area significant for the motivational aspect of food intake compared to those of healthy body weight. Dopamine is crucial for the rewarding feelings associated with eating. Obese subjects also showed diminished responsiveness in brain activity when nutrients were infused into the stomach. Overall, these findings suggest that the sensing of nutrients in the stomach and gut and/or nutritional signals is reduced in obesity, potentially having significant effects on food intake,” states Mireille Serlie, the lead researcher and Professor of Endocrinology at Amsterdam UMC.
Food intake relies on the intricate interplay of metabolic and neuronal signals between the brain and several organs, including the gut and nutritional signals in the blood. This network triggers feelings of hunger and satiation, and regulates both food intake and the motivation to seek out food. While these processes are better understood in animals, especially concerning metabolic diseases like obesity, less is known about how these processes work in humans. This gap in knowledge is due in part to the challenge of creating experimental clinical setups that could elucidate these mechanisms.
To address this knowledge gap, Serlie, who also holds a professorship at Yale, along with colleagues from both institutions, designed a controlled trial. This trial involved infusing specific nutrients directly into the stomachs of 30 individuals with healthy body weight and 30 individuals with obesity, while simultaneously observing their brain activity using MRI and monitoring dopamine release through SPECT scans.
The study found that healthy participants exhibited specific patterns of brain activity and dopamine release following nutrient infusion, a response that was significantly muted in obese participants. Additionally, a 10% body weight loss (achieved through a 12-week diet) was not enough to restore these brain responses in obese individuals. This suggests that obesity prompts enduring brain adaptations that persist even after weight loss.
“The unchanging nature of these brain responses post weight loss may account for why most people regain weight after initially successful weight loss,” concludes Serlie.
For further details on this study, refer to “Yale Study Finds Severely Impaired Response to Nutrients.”
Reference: “Brain responses to nutrients are severely impaired and not reversed by weight loss in humans with obesity: a randomized crossover study” by Katy A. van Galen, Anouk Schrantee, Kasper W. ter Horst, Susanne E. la Fleur, Jan Booij, R. Todd Constable, Gary J. Schwartz, Ralph J. DiLeone, and Mireille J. Serlie, 12 June 2023, Nature Metabolism.
DOI: 10.1038/s42255-023-00816-9
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Obesity and Brain Response to Nutrients
Q: What did the research reveal about brain responses to nutrients in individuals with obesity?
A: The research revealed that brain responses to nutrients are diminished in individuals with obesity. They produce less dopamine in a brain region crucial for food intake motivation and show reduced brain activity upon nutrient infusion into the stomach.
More about Obesity and Brain Response to Nutrients
- Nature Metabolism: Brain responses to nutrients are severely impaired and not reversed by weight loss in humans with obesity
- [Yale Study Finds Severely Impaired Response to Nutrients](insert URL) (Please provide the actual URL)
3 comments
wow, this study shows that obese people have weaker brain responses to food nutrients. they release less dopamine and show less brain activity when food goes in their stomachs. it’s a big deal because it explains why most people gain back the weight after they lose it initially. super interesting!
whoa, just read this article about how being obese affects your brain’s response to nutrients. less dopamine, less brain activity. no wonder it’s tough to stay on track with weight loss. really eye-opening study by Amsterdam UMC and Yale Univ. gotta be mindful of what we put in our bodies!
omg this research from Amsterdam UMC and Yale Univ says that obesity messes up how the brain reacts to food stuff. like, less dopamine released and less brain activity when you eat. no wonder it’s so hard to keep off the weight once you lose it! gotta take care of our brains, folks!