However, it has not been determined whether these changes are visible in the brain already before a person develops obesity and if these changes would increase the future obesity risk.
A new study investigated changes in the brain in pre-obesity by studying the insulin, opioid, and cannabinoid function through PET imaging. The participants of the study consisted of 41 young men with varying obesity risk factors.
The results showed that family-related risk factors such as parents’ obesity or diabetes were associated with altered insulin signaling in the subject’s brain as well as the reduced function of the opioid and cannabinoid systems.
Disturbance in the neural networks of the brain controlling satiation and appetite can therefore be observed already before a person develops obesity, and these brain changes are connected to family-related risk factors of obesity.
The results may have implications for the development of prevention and treatment interventions for obesity. They also show that the brain and central nervous system are important targets in the treatment of obesity.
Source: Medindia
