It is a common misconception that people who are overweight or obese enjoy eating or certainly enjoy the sensation that eating arouses in them. The notion of ‘comfort eating’ suggests that food is able to make someone feel satisfied and happier. New research published this week by scientists in the USA, however, suggests that the opposite may be true. The report, published in Scientific Journal Today, suggests that people who are overweight or obese may be that way as a result of never achieving any sense of satisfaction through eating!
Many people who consume more than their recommended daily calorie intake struggle to resist food but find themselves unable to do so. Whilst there are psychological reasons which may account for this, and let’s face it the Western World has an increasingly strange relationship with food, scientists are increasingly finding that there are physiological reasons that play a major role in people’s tendency to eat.
Research published this week suggests that some obese people overeat because their brains are not finding the experience satisfying. That is to say their brains are failing to produce the chemicals that inform the body that they have eaten enough food. The scientists have discovered that overweight and obese people may experience a reduced response in the brain’s reward mechanism. The scientists from the University of Texas in Austin found that individuals with a blunted response were more likely to show an unhealthy weight gain.
The receptors responsible for a person feeling satisfied after eating are called D2 receptors, the D standing for dopamine. People who have fewer dopamine receptors than is considered normal need to consume more food to experience the same level of pleasure as other people.
Dr. Stice, the lead researcher, said that understanding these chemical reactions within the brain was vital in helping people to maintain a healthy weight. He also added that identifying changes in behaviour or pharmacological options could correct this reward deficit and in so doing, prevent or treat individuals who were overweight or obese.