Washington, May 17 (EFE).- A group of researchers has discovered a type of brain cell that generates appetite when there is excess energy in the body, as happens in obese people.
The finding, published this Wednesday in the specialized journal Cell Metabolism, identifies that these cells not only produce a molecule that stimulates hunger, but also make the brain more sensitive to these stimuli.
Thus, a person with excess fat will feel a greater appetite than a thinner one.
The researchers hope this discovery will help develop drugs that specifically target these receptors in the brain, which would make weight-loss treatments more effective.
As explained by the main author of the study, Herbert Herzog, in a statement, our brain is “programmed to resist (…) weight loss, which it considers a threat to our survival.”
Herzog described the discovered mechanism as a “vicious circle”, since it prevents the body from balancing its energy consumption and its accumulation.
The team of researchers is part of the Garvan Institute for Medical Research, located in the Australian town of Darlinghurst, a suburb of Sydney.
