Why Does Junk Food Make Us Eat More?

Author: Mark Velov Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Fatty junk food destroys the brain's ability to control appetite by destroying the brain cells responsible for controlling it.

Consumption of fatty junk food impairs the brain's ability to control appetite by destroying the brain cells responsible for controlling it. The process is important to increase the risk of obesity, scientists say.

Research results help clarify why it is so difficult for overweight people to lose weight.

Researchers observed volunteers who ate foods high in fat. After 3 days, they double their calorie intake .

It also establishes the presence of inflammation in the hypothalamus - the part of the brain that controls and body weight.

The inflammation disappeared a few days later, but reappeared after 4 weeks, explained the research team of the University of Washington in Seattle.

"Consumption of unhealthy and fatty foods is thought to be linked to brain damage gliosis ," said lead researcher Dr. Joshua Thaler. Gliosis is a symptom that is often seen in neural brain damage, such as stroke or multiple sclerosis. Scientists believe that early gliosis is a protective reaction of the body, which, however, remains unsuccessful.

The possibility of brain injury resulting from excessive consumption of junk and high-calorie foods offers a new explanation for why sustainable weight loss is so difficult to achieve for most overweight people.

"It's not yet clear if this suggests that the brain damage is permanent, but it can certainly contribute to weight gain," said Dr. Joshua Thaler.

"The development of new drugs that prevent neuronal damage during overeating can be an effective measure in the fight against the obesity epidemic," the expert added.

The results of the study were presented at the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society in Boston.

Why Does Junk Food Make Us Eat More?

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