Findings on overeating may aid in the fight against obesity when
metabolic and psychological treatments fail Test subjects
underwent MRI scans after ingesting their favorite high-calorie
beverages. (Medical Xpress)—A similar, insidious craving plagues
all addicts, no matter the substance of choice. A new study
published in NeuroImage from Center for BrainHealth scientists
Dr. Francesca Filbey, assistant professor in the School of
Behavioral and Brain Sciences, and doctoral student Samuel
DeWitt has found that for binge-eaters, as with all addiction
sufferers, the compulsion to overeat is rooted in the brain's
reward center. In the last 20 years, the incidence of obesity
has doubled in the U.S. and many European countries, and related
chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes are on the
rise. One-third of Americans are obese, and more than two-thirds
are overweight. Obesity has become a leading health problem in
the United States, and its challenging personal and economic
ramifications fuel the desir