How Obesity Disrupts the Brain's Ability to Respond to Essential Nutrients

This controlled trial intended to address this gap, consisted of infusing specific nutrients directly into the stomach of 30 participants with a healthy bodyweight and 30 individuals with obesity, while simultaneously measuring their brain activity through the use of MRI and dopamine release using SPECT scans.

While the participants with a healthy bodyweight displayed specific patterns of brain activity and dopamine release after nutrient infusion, these responses were severely blunted in participants with obesity. Moreover, 10% body weight loss (following a 12-week diet) was not sufficient to restore these brain responses in individuals with obesity, suggesting long-lasting brain adaptations occur in the context of obesity and remain even after weight loss is achieved.

Reference:

Brain responses to nutrients are severely impaired and not reversed by weight loss in humans with obesity: a randomized crossover study',Nature Metabolism,DOI 10.1038/s42255-023-00816-9