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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 "The brain is receiving more and more attention from the field . . . but nobody knows whether and how the hypothalamus could be responsible for the increasing occurrence of energy imbalance and obesity under today's environment typical of overnutrition," Cai explained.
Prior research had shown that eating too much triggered inflammatory responses in muscles, liver and other metabolic tissues, changes that underlie the development of type 2 diabetes. So the IKKb/NF-kB pathway had already been identified as a crucial player in these processes.
But it wasn't known if the same pathway was at work in the central nervous system.
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In studying the brains of mice, Cai and his colleagues found that a high-fat or high-sugar diet did indeed increase the activity of this pathway in the brain as well. Similarly, the pathway is active in the brains of mice predisposed to obesity.
Once awakened, the pathway induces insulin resistance and dysfunctions of other hormones engaged with weight control and appetite.
While chronic inflammation was once thought to be a result of obesity, it now appears to promote it as well.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on overweight and obesity.
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