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Overeating is Similar to Drug Addiction
Research recently reported by the BBC shows that for obese people overeating is very similar to drug addiction. Scans on seven overweight people revealed the regions of the brain that controlled apetite were the same as those in drug addicts craving drugs. The American researchers said the results of their tests could help to develop new treatments for obesity.
The researchers looked at brain impulses in seven overweight individuals. While the volunteers were feeling full, a brain scan revealed an increased metabolism in the hippocampus, an area of the brain associated with emotional behaviour, learning and memory, the orbitofrontal cortex and the striatum, which are the same areas in the brain that are more active when drug addicts crave drugs. This leads to the conclusion that there are similarities obsessive eating and compulsive drug intake.
However, although this may provide proof that overweight people are actually genetically disadvantaged in their ability to control their apetite and eat sensibly, a mixture of common sense and willpower should be able to overcome these cravings.
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