A group of researchers has discovered a type of brain cell that generates appetite when there is excess energy in the body, as happens in obese people.
The finding, published this Wednesday in the specialized journal Cell Metabolism, identifies that these cells not only produce a molecule that stimulates hunger, but also make the brain more sensitive to these stimuli.
They discover the cells that make obese people have more appetite
The researchers hope this discovery will help develop drugs that specifically target these receptors in the brain, which would make weight-loss treatments more effective.
According to the main author of the study, Herbert Herzog, in a statement, our brain is „programmed to resist (…) weight loss, which it considers a threat to our survival.”
Herzog describes the discovered mechanism as a „vicious circle”, since it prevents the body from balancing its energy consumption and its accumulation.
They discover the cells that make obese people have more appetite
The team of researchers is part of the Garvan Institute for Medical Research, located in the Australian town of Darlinghurst, a suburb of Sydney.
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This finding identifies that these cells not only produce a hunger-stimulating molecule known as NPY, but also make the brain more sensitive to these stimuli, leading to increased appetite in the person.
They discover the cells that make obese people have more appetite
With this in mind, the researchers state that a person with excess body fat will feel a more pronounced appetite than someone who is thinner.
According to Herbert Herzog, one of the study authors, our brains are „programmed to resist weight loss, as it perceives it as a threat to our survival.”
„Our study addresses a longstanding question of how appetite is controlled and has the potential to steer the development of obesity therapies in a new direction.”
In Mexico, obesity represents one of the main public health problems due to its rapid increase in the population. According to the 2021 National Health and Nutrition Survey, seven out of ten people in our country are overweight or obese.
This condition also increases the risk of developing other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Although there are numerous factors that influence its development, the excessive accumulation of fatty tissue, eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle are key elements.
„Our brain has intricate mechanisms that detect how much energy we store in the body and adjust appetite accordingly. One way it does this is through the NPY molecule, which the brain naturally produces in stressful situations, such as hunger, to stimulate feeding,” Herzog explained.
