Are Some People Wired To Overeat?
Could there be to overeating than just a lack of will power? Apparetnly researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton seem to think so. Senior scientist, Gene-Jack Wang, has studied dopamine, the neurochemical that has a role in regulating motivation, driveand desire.
Using advanced brain imaging researchers have found that obese people had fewer dopamine D2 receptors, which can lead to an impaired ability to feel satisfied or to experience the sensation of having enough.
“In addition to studying the neurochemistry of motivation, scientists are looking at the brain center that controls the feeling of pleasure. So far they have found that obese people exhibit more sensitivity to the stimuli of food’s flavor and texture than do people who are addicted to drugs or those who are at a normal weight. Foods then become the most enjoyable stimuli, and eventually exclude other sources of pleasure, such as social interaction.”
[Source - Newsday]
