Is Obesity Hardwired Into Your Brain?
There’s new evidence that if you’re severely overweight, obesity may be hardwired into your brain and you simply can’t help overeating.
According to a new study published in Nature Genetics by a team of authors from over 60 institutions, 6 new genetic variants are now linked to a higher body mass index (BMI), which is a measurement that’s often used to determine obesity.
Five of these genes act on your brain and are believed to affect behavior like appetite and satiety, instead of body chemistry like metabolism.
The research was done on over 90,000 people. Further studies in twins have shown that genetics may be responsible for up to 70% of the variations in BMI.
A part of the brain called the hypothalamus controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst. That’s where these genes are believed to be active and where they may be causing your predisposition to gain weight if you’re overweight.
But this isn’t even close to the entire answer to the obesity problem. Even the researchers admit that if you carry all these genetic variants, you’ll only be about 3 to 5 pounds heavier than the average person.
But the scientists think there are more genetic variants to uncover. So this may be only the tip of the iceberg that explains how obesity may be hardwired into your brain.
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