According to multiple studies that I have read, obesity is of great concern in all societies. In every state at least 20-35% of their individuals are considered obese. These numbers continue to rise every day due to the lack of exercise and easy accessibility of unhealthy food.
Throughout class we discovered the impact food can have on the brain and how alterations are made to the brain from the food we eat.
I was specifically interested in leptin receptors and their effect on the brain. Leptin is released into the brain proportionately to body weight. Therefore if someone consumes food that is higher calorically they tend to produce more leptin.
Leptin is then released into the brain where it binds to leptin receptors in the hypothalamus, the region that controls hunger and thirst. In a normal body when leptin binds to the receptors in the hypothalamus the feeling of fullness is triggered causing individuals to stop eating. But in individuals who are overweight leptin receptors fail to work. When the receptors become resistant it takes a lot more leptin to trigger the individual that they are full causing them to consume more food. This is why individuals who are overweight have such a hard time reducing the amount of food they eat and why losing weight can be difficult.
For further information about how obesity is a brain disease the paper we read in class is very helpful.
Knowing that obesity isn’t necessarily an individuals choice but rather is a brain disorder is alarming. This encourages us all to educate our communities about the impact unhealthy food can have on our bodies.
Obesity in the Brain
