Rapid weight gain after dieting has been linked to neuronal function
Dieting causes long-term changes in the brain's neural connections.Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolic Research and Harvard Medical School have found that connections in the brain change during dieting. A study on mice showed that the nerve cells that trigger feelings of hunger receive a stronger signal, so animals that have been dieting eat significantly more and gain weight quickly.
The researchers put the mice on the diet and observed which circuits in the brain changed. Specifically, they observed AgRP neurons, which are located in the hypothalamus and control feelings of hunger. The analysis showed that during the diet, the neural pathways that stimulate AgRP neurons increased. This change was observed for a long time after the diet.
Scientists were able to specifically inhibit the nerve pathways in the mice that activate AgRP neurons. As a result of this effect, the mice gained significantly less weight after the diet ended.
"Our long-term goal is to find treatments for people that can help maintain body weight after dieting. To achieve this, we are continuing to study how we can block the mechanisms that control the amplification of neural pathways in humans and also transmit them," Henning Fenselau, a researcher at the Max Planck Society's Institute for Metabolic Research.
Source: A synaptic amplifier of hunger for regaining body weight in the hypothalamus - ScienceDirect