Obesity caused by brain function?

Obesity may be the result of brain function, according to scientists, indicating that it could be treated with a drug which would cut rates of fat-related diseases in over-50s.

Researchers noted that while obesity typically results from eating too much, some people appear to be much more prone to overeating and gaining weight.

The team, from the University of Turku and Aalto University, explored the possibility that the central nervous system could be linked to obesity, as it plays a significant role in processing hunger signals and controlling food intake.

It was found that brain glucose metabolism was significantly higher in obese individuals.

This was observed in the brain's striatal regions, which are involved in the processing of rewards.

In addition, obese participants' reward systems were seen to respond more vigorously to food pictures, while at the same time responses in the frontal cortical regions linked to cognitive control were dampened.

Adjunct Professor Lauri Nummenmaa commented: "The results suggest that obese individuals' brains might constantly generate signals that promote eating even when the body would not require additional energy uptake."

She also commented that the findings have implications on the development of pharmacological and psychological treatments of obesity, meaning that drugs could theoretically be developed to combat these glucose levels in the brain, potentially cutting obesity.

Being overweight is linked to a number of diseases in which age is also a factor, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, making it particularly dangerous for over-50s to be obese. It can also shorten life expectancy by six to seven years.

It is believed that around a quarter of adults in England were obese, with just under a third of women carrying too much weight and 42 per cent of men being overweight, and it is believed that this number will only increase.