Research suggests that adding words related to health and weight on posters, menus, or recipe cards can stimulate healthy food choices among dieters and overweight individuals. This technique has great potential as an intervention to help weight control, as it is unobtrusive, easy to implement, and low in cost.
A study by Dr. Natalie Loxton found that individuals with high reward sensitivity experience increased pleasure and urge to eat after watching TV commercials featuring junk food. This suggests a link between reward sensitivity and overeating, particularly in response to appetitive cues.
Researchers found that rats consuming all their sugar solution in the inactive period gained more weight than those consuming it during the active period, despite similar caloric intake. This study suggests that the timing of sugar consumption can significantly affect body weight gain.
Research presented at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior Annual Meeting finds that high-fat diets increase active-period sleep and sleep fragmentation in rats. Poor sleep quality is associated with reduced orexin sensitivity, a key brain chemical involved in regulating sleep and wake states.
Research in rats and humans found that multiple pieces of food elicit greater satiation than a single piece, with increased portion sizes leading to increased intake. Cutting food into smaller pieces can make it more satiating, benefiting dieters seeking portion control.
Research suggests that sleep behavior affects body weight control and that sleep loss has ramifications for how many calories we consume and burn off through physical activity. Sleep deprivation increases hunger and reduces physical activity, leading to weight gain and increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Research reveals that olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic drug, promotes overeating, weight gain, and insulin resistance due to reduced body temperature. The study demonstrates altered peripheral glucose metabolism, contributing to impaired insulin sensitivity.
Regular exercise increases sensitivity to leptin, a hormone that inhibits food intake. Exercise also reveals additional mechanisms that contribute to the beneficial effects of physical activity on managing body weight, including altered gut hormone release and increased responsiveness to CCK, a hormone that limits meal size.
New research shows ghrelin stimulates dopamine release in response to rewarding food, potentially making food more appealing. The study suggests a gut hormone-induced change in the brain's reward system, supporting the interaction between peripheral signals and behavior.
Research suggests that dietary supplementation with molasses extract can reduce body weight and fat levels in mice. After 12 weeks on a high-fat diet supplemented with 4% molasses extract, mice had lower body weight, reduced body fat, and decreased leptin levels.
Research reveals that teenagers develop a taste for caffeinated, sugar-sweetened beverages due to repeated exposure. Caffeine addition leads to increased liking of carbonated drinks.
A new study found that ghrelin, a naturally occurring gut hormone, increases the willingness to pay for food while decreasing it for non-food items. This increase in reward signaling is specifically linked to the nucleus accumbens region of the brain.
Clinical research identifies 'food addicts' with increased binge-eating disorder, depression, and impulsive personality traits. The study proposes personalized treatment approaches for obesity.
New research finds that obese men are less sensitive to fat taste and have impaired gut hormone release, leading to overeating. The study suggests a possible link between high-fat diets and reduced physiological responses to fat, paving the way for further investigation.
A new study finds that teaching parents to feed their infants 'responsively' promotes higher acceptance of vegetables and novel foods, while also improving growth patterns among infants. The one-year intervention has implications for long-term obesity prevention by fostering healthier eating habits in early childhood.
Research reveals leptin's role in reducing food intake by activating the hippocampus, a brain region controlling learning and memory. Impaired leptin signaling may compromise cognitive processes that inhibit excessive food consumption.
Animal research suggests that a high-fat diet consumed by nursing mothers increases the risk of obesity and pre-diabetes in their offspring. In contrast, consuming a high-fat diet during pregnancy only reduces the risk of obesity when combined with postnatal breastfeeding on a low-fat diet.
Research reveals that our minds play a significant role in governing appetite and satiety. Expectations before eating and memories after eating influence how long meals stave off hunger. By manipulating these factors, portions can be controlled effectively, leading to potential weight loss benefits.
Research reveals soy phytoestrogens reduce weight gain and increase energy expenditure in post-menopausal rats, highlighting potential natural treatment for obesity. Further human studies are needed to confirm the long-term effects of a soy-rich diet on food intake.
Research finds that overweight participants' brain activity is not linked to feelings of hunger when responding to food smells and tastes. Activation of the amygdala predicts weight gain in one year after scanning session.
A high-fat diet is associated with reduced dopamine release and reuptake in the striatum of rats. This change in brain neurochemistry affects motivation and willingness to work for food reward, mirroring effects seen in humans with obesity.
High-fat, high-sugar foods increase opioids in the brain area controlling food intake, suggesting a biological basis for binge eating disorders. This study provides insight into changes in opioid receptor gene expression and its role in maintaining bingeing behavior.
Research using mice suggests that assisted reproductive techniques like IVF and ICSI can increase the incidence of metabolic problems in offspring, including higher blood pressure, increased fasting glucose levels, and more body fat. The study found altered expression of genes important for nutrient transport in the placenta.
Research finds that a weight-loss program significantly improves symptoms of depression and reduces triglycerides in obese patients. After a 6-month behavioral weight loss program, depressed patients lost 8% of their initial weight and reported improvements in depressive symptoms.
New study reveals that women with lower dopamine activity in food reward regions are more prone to weight gain. Increasing physical activity may help compensate for blunted brain reward and reduce unhealthy weight gain.
A study found that expecting tasty food activates brain's orexin system, which is also involved in drug addiction and rewards. This mechanism may explain why people overeat in contexts associated with good food, with implications for obesity treatment.