Bad Appetite

The social, psychological, and biological drivers of appetite

Susan Carnell is a research psychologist at the New York Obesity Research Center and Columbia University, where she studies what drives some people toward obesity. See full bio

April 12, 2009, Addiction

Comments on "Does my brain look fat in this?"

Does my brain look fat in this?

By Susan Carnell, Ph.D. on April 12, 2009 in Bad Appetite

Sweet tooth. Greedy guts. Hungry eyes. Lazy bones. We blame every part of the body for making us fat, but there's one vital organ we sometimes forget to mention: the brain. It helps us plan what to get from a fast-food restaurant. It helps us decide when to step away from the ice-cream tub. But if you're obese, your brain looks different even before you start making those decisions. Read More

really interesting, now if

Submitted by farouk on April 13, 2009 - 3:32am.

really interesting, now if someone lost weight, will his brain activity change?

Another thing to wonder about...

Submitted by Paul Maurice Martin on April 13, 2009 - 7:09am.

...is how well overeating and obesity correlate. The one person in my family who's considerably overweight has a fibromyalgia diagnosis and has struggled with being overweight since childhood. She just doesn't appear to overeat. On the other hand, I've been one of those people who's been able to eat whatever I want and I've always been underweight.

fibro

Submitted by Gina Pera on May 3, 2009 - 2:53pm.

Hi Paul,

There are lots of causes underlying the "bucket diagnosis" of fibromyalgia. They include nutritional deficiencies (e.g. minerals such as magnesium and manganese -- sometimes zinc, too -- help many people with fibro and CFS) and lack of exercise. And exercise is always more difficult when you're obese.

Some experts are making a connection between fibromyalgia and ADHD in some women. So, given my next post (on the research linking ADHD with obesity), your sister might want to learn more.

dopamine, eating, and anticipation

Submitted by Gina Pera on May 3, 2009 - 2:59pm.

Interesting post, Dr. Carnell -- and love the Homer Simpson brain scan. :-)

You wrote:

"Another study people were given food rather than just looking at pictures of it. This time obese participants showed less activation in the striatum. This suggests that - although certain foods inspire high hopes for reward - when consumed they actually produce less of a thrill than expected."

I know we can't simplify talk of neurotransmitters, but to make a point we could say that dopamine (the "reward/pleasure" brain chemical) is released upon anticipation of the reward -- not when we have the reward. That includes eating, but also shopping, dating a new person, etc. It probably explains why shopaholics seldom enjoy their purchases; they are too busy thinking about the next expedition because that's what releases the feel-good chemicals.

There is some interesting research linking obesity with untreated ADHD. I wrote it about it recently at my blog ADHDRollerCoaster.org

Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?
Stopping the Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder