OBESITY rewires your brain so you never feel full even after losing weight, scientists say.
A study found carrying too much flab blocks signals that stop hunger after you eat.
AlamyObesity can rewire the brain so you never feel full, scientists say[/caption]
It means slimmers trying to keep off the pounds face an uphill battle against cravings.
Even losing weight can’t reverse the damage and people still want to overeat when they get in shape, as research found the issue carried on after dieting.
Scientists at Yale University in the US tested how brain reactions were different between 28 slim and 30 obese people.
They found overweight participants did not get the same fullness signal after they were fed 500 calories through a tube.
Dr Mireille Serlie said: “Impaired responses to nutritional signals may contribute to overeating and obesity.
“And ongoing resistance to nutrient signals after eating, after significant weight loss, may in part explain the high rate of weight regain after successful weight loss.”
Two thirds of Brits are overweight or obese and it raises their risk of diabetes, heart diseases and cancer.
A recent study by Cardiff University Hospital found three quarters of people trying to lose weight fail over the course of a year.
Dieting is the most common type of attempt but also one of the most likely to fail.
In the Yale study, 26 of the obese participants went on a 12-week diet to lose 10 per cent of their bodyweight – equal to 1st2lbs for an average UK woman weighing 11st4lbs.
Researchers re-ran the tests and found they still did not get the same feeling of fullness as slim people after eating.
Writing in the journal Nature Metabolism, Dr Serlie said: “These data show that the response to post-ingestive nutrient signals is impaired and not reversible with significant weight loss.”
Experts said there should be more research to see if surgery or medications can help people lose weight and bring back normal brain signals.