A new study has revealed that obesity can affect the brain’s ability to recognize fullness and experience satiety after consuming fats and sugars. These brain alterations may persist even after individuals with obesity lose weight, which could explain why many people struggle to maintain their weight loss.
The study found that the chemical responses in the brains of people with obesity were lacking, preventing the normal signals that indicate they have eaten enough. Dr. Caroline Apovian, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, explained that there was no sign of reversibility in the brain’s response even after weight loss.
Medically obese individuals are defined as those with a body mass index (BMI) above 30, while a normal weight range is typically considered to be between 18 and 25.
Dr. Apovian, who was not involved in the study, emphasized that the findings demonstrate that obesity is a disease and highlight the actual changes that occur in the brain as a result.
Dr. I Sadaf Farooqi at the University of Cambridge praised the study for its meticulousness and thoroughness, stating that it strengthens previous research on the effects of obesity on the brain and further supports the link between obesity and these brain changes.