Another perspective on the causes of obesity

Fat folks think differently from those that are not overweight. Well of course that seems true when it comes to food. There is more to it than that. Robert Sherwin (at Yale) and colleagues published a study in the September issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation. The investigators used functional magnetic imaging to track the brain activation in healthy and obese subjects when viewing high calorie foods as well as fruits and vegetables. They noted that when blood sugar levels were low brain regions like the insula and striatum (brain regions associated with rewards) were activated and that was associated with a drive to eat. The prefrontal cortex, which is involved in inhibiting impulses (such as the reaching for food), was less effective in suppressing the desire to eat when blood sugar levels are low. The heavy weight subjects responded differently from those with normal weight. When shown high calorie foods prefrontal cortex activity was less able to put the brakes on desire to eat. In addition when blood sugar levels were normal the normal weight subjects exhibited more activity in the prefrontal cortex and therefore more inhibitory control than the obese subjects.

Can we use findings like this to teach the overeaters to muster more control via more activation of prefrontal cortex activity? Another related question is whether obese subjects show less self-control, inhibition, ability to control impulses in other arenas other than those involving food?