Is this the solution to overeating?
Science is a step closer to a new response to obesity, thanks in part to a study conducted by a team from the University of Texas at El Paso.
The 10-member team made discoveries about a specific area of the brain tied to recollection and the desire to seek and consume food.
It could lead to a way to inhibit the desire to overeat.
Dr Sergio Iñiguez said that people tend to overeat when exposed to cues or environments that remind them of treats, which is one reason why people opt for dessert even after a filling meal.
The study showed that neurons in a specific part of the brain control the link between the cue (seeing the dessert) and the action (ordering the dessert).
Dr Iñiguez and team found that animal subjects consumed fewer treats when they regulated that region of the animal's brain.
The techniques and the data eventually could help overcome some issues linked to obesity such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high levels of bad cholesterol, and coronary heart disease.
"This is a big discovery because we now have experimental tools that allow us to turn off neurons while the subjects engage in a specific behaviour," Dr Iñiguez said.
"This research shows that a specific part of the prefrontal cortex of the brain is important for the initial stages of learning to seek food."
Are you able to stop yourself from overeating?
Sounds tremendously promising...I am looking forward to hearing more about this research.
I rarely overeat, however, thankfully I have a slim frame and don't put on weight easily. It does make me sad though when I see grossly overweight youngsters.