Browsing Tag
Obesity
2 posts
A Vibrating Pill That Could Help Fight Obesity, Created by Engineers
Upon consuming a substantial meal, your stomach communicates with your brain, triggering signals that induce a sense of fullness, signaling it's time to cease eating. Recognizing this, individuals seeking weight management are often counseled to consume a glass of water before meals, as a liquid-filled stomach can also transmit these signals. In a novel approach to leverage this physiological response, engineers at MIT have developed an innovative ingestible capsule designed to generate vibrations within the stomach. These vibrations serve to activate stretch receptors, the same receptors responsible for sensing stomach distension. The outcome is a simulated feeling of fullness, providing a potential mechanism to manage appetite and contribute to dietary control.
Scientists Uncover Connection Between Human Brain’s Memory and Appetite, Shedding Light on Obesity Causes
New research sheds light on a significant correlation between disrupted neural connections in brain circuits responsible for memory and appetite regulation and an individual's body mass index (BMI). This relationship is particularly pronounced among individuals grappling with disorders related to eating behavior, such as binge eating disorder (BED), which can ultimately culminate in obesity. The study highlights a crucial finding: those with obesity tend to exhibit impaired connections between two vital brain regions, the dorsolateral hippocampus (dlHPC) and the lateral hypothalamus (LH). This impairment may have implications for their capacity to manage and control emotional responses when confronted with the prospect of indulging in rewarding meals or treats.