There has been plenty of research on obesity and
mental functioning as it is unfortunately, an expanding problem that needs to
be addressed. But what is the most recent news? Recent evidence suggests that
obesity may be linked to brain changes that relate to memory, emotions and
appetite. Of course, we all know that being unhealthy doesn’t feel good and can
lead to lower self esteem and low energy levels what how exactly does that
work?
In a study performed by SUNY Downstate, scientists
found a molecule known as NAA that is associated with brain health to be
associated with body weight. Scientists are still unsure what the implications
of this might be because has yet to be determined if low NAA, which is
associated with being overweight, is a consequence of being overweight or if it
is causal to being overweight. What is very interesting about this data is that
it reflects high stress from worrying also produced low levels of NAA in the
hippocampus, but was not associated with a high body mass index (BMI).
Future studies are intended to focus on finding out
if weight loss has an effect on NAA levels. This could help determine how NAA
levels affect weight gain and the hippocampus’ role in appetite control. With
new information being discovered about weight gain on a molecular level,
hopefully new approaches will be implemented that will help reverse the obesity
epidemic in our society.
