A group of researchers from the Garvan Institute for Medical Research, based in the Australian town of Darlinghurst, has made a revolutionary discovery in the field of obesity.
The prestigious specialized magazine Cell Metabolism has published a study led by these scientists, which reveals the existence of a type of brain cell that generates appetite in people with excess energy in the bodyespecially in those who suffer from obesity.
The finding is the result of extensive research that has revealed that these brain cells not only produce a molecule called NPY, known to stimulate hunger, but also increase the brain’s sensitivity to these stimuli, thus intensifying the desire to eat.
The researchers are confident that this discovery will pave the way for the development of drugs that specifically target block these receptors in the brainwhich could make weight loss treatments more effective.
As explained by the main author of the study, Herbert Herzog, “our brain is programmed to resist weight loss, since it perceives it as a threat to our survival.” Herzog added that “our study addresses a long-standing question of how appetite is controlled and has the potential to take the development of anti-obesity therapies in a new direction.”
The Obesity is one of the biggest medical challenges worldwide and increases the risk of developing other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.. Although the excessive accumulation of fatty tissue, unhealthy eating patterns and lack of physical activity are key factors in the development of obesity, this study highlights the important role played by brain cells in appetite control.
“Our brain has sophisticated mechanisms that detect the amount of energy stored in our body and adjust appetite accordingly. One of these mechanisms is the NPY molecule, which the brain produces naturally in stressful situations, such as hunger, to stimulate food intake,” Herzog explained.
Normally, NPY levels decrease when we are satisfied. However, “when there are prolonged energy surpluses, such as excess body fat, the NPY cells continue to stimulate appetite, and we wanted to understand why.”
Through experiments on mice, scientists discovered that brain cells not only produced NPYbut also influenced other areas of the brain to create the optimal conditions that would intensify appetite.
Herzog described this newly discovered mechanism as a “vicious cycle” as it prevents the body from properly regulating its energy intake and storage, leading obese people to eat more and more.
This important scientific advance offers new perspectives in the fight against obesity and opens the door to the development of more effective treatments to combat this global health problem.
While there is still much work to be done before specific drugs become available, the results of this study provide hope and promise a future where people with obesity can find more effective solutions to control their appetite and achieve a healthy weight.
#Study #finds #obese #people #hungry