Successful weight loss through these regions in the brain

How do our brain functions affect weight loss??

Many people have problems losing weight despite dieting or dieting. New research suggests that some brain functions play an important role in weight loss.

McGill University scientists found in their current research that the brain plays a very important role in weight loss. People with greater activity in the brain regions of the lateral prefrontal cortex, which are associated with self-control, achieve the greatest success in weight loss. The physicians published the results of their study in the English language journal "Cell Metabolism".

Self-control and self-control are important for weight loss

The control of body weight in humans is largely dependent on areas of the brain involved in self-control and self-control. This area of ​​the brain has the ability to take long-term information into account, such as the desire to be healthy to control the immediate desires, the researchers explain.

Leptin and ghrelin affect the diet

Two hormones called leptin and ghrelin are known to make the body eat despite a diet. Previous research confirms that these hormone levels change rapidly in weight loss. When people lose weight, there is a change in leptin and ghrelin. Some people, for unknown reasons, can not maintain their self-regulation in the face of these signals.

Subjects received a functional MRI scan

To analyze the role of these hormones and self-control in weight loss, the researchers studied 24 subjects in a weight loss clinic. Before a diet of 1200 kcal / day, all participants received a functional MRI (fMRI) scan of the brain, the researchers explain. Especially the regions of the lateral prefrontal cortex, which are associated with self-restraint, and the regions of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex, a brain area that has an influence on motivation and desire, were evaluated.

Subjects had to look at pictures of food

The subjects were shown pictures of appetizing food as well as control images of landscapes. The researchers then compared the response of brain activity to the food images, especially the high-calorie foods, at baseline, one month, and again three months later. When participants looked at images of appetizing foods, the ventral medial prefrontal cortex area was more active in functional MRI examination, say the physicians.

What did the experts say??

During the study, the researchers found that the signal from the ventral prefrontal cortex decreased after one month and three months. It decreased most in people who were more successful in losing weight. In addition, the lateral prefrontal cortex signal involved in self-control increased throughout the study, the researchers explain.

Self-control is the key to weight loss

In the functional MRI study, the self-control area has increased its activity and the area for desire has reduced its activity, explain the researchers. The amount of change was predictive of successful weight loss. While all participants lost weight, those who achieved the greatest weight loss had fMRI scores indicating a better self-control ability. At the end of the 3-month study, the hormones ghrelin and leptin began to return to baseline levels.

Cognitive behavioral therapy facilitates the diet?

These results suggest that weight-loss measures that increase self-control (eg, cognitive-behavioral therapy) may be helpful, especially when stress leads to over-nutrition, say the authors of the study. Stress interrupts the control mechanism of the lateral prefrontal cortex. (As)