Could obesity be a product of subtle changes in the brain? New research from Indiana University Bloomington and the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry in Pozzzuoli, Italy has identified a cellular change in the brain that appears to accompany obesity. There seems to be a shift from “normal” to a different setting, in which the body tends to maintain undesirable weight levels, rather than an ideal weight.

The brain change occurs in the hypothalamus, where certain receptors can trigger or inhibit the release of orexin A peptide, a chemical associated with appetite.  In normal-weight mice, activating the receptor decreases chemical release; however, in obese mice, activating the receptor stimulates appetite.

The researchers suspect that a “reset” of the brain’s network occurs during obesity, so that food consumption matches current weight, not the ideal weight. Therefore, even when an obese person loses weight, the brain is still wired to believe that the obese weight was the new target weight.

This discovery could lead to new treatment options for obesity and may prove helpful in devising different weight-loss plans for obese individuals.

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Sourced from: Science Daily, Key Shift in Brain That Creates Drive to Overeat Identified

No question that obesity is a rising epidemic in the United States, with 12 states now reporting obesity rates of 30 percent or more, compared to just one state in 2007.  So scientists continue to focus on ways to help obese people regain control over their lives and, in particular, their metabolism.  The latest finding comes from Oklahoma State University, where researchers have found that mangos may help lower blood sugar in obese patients, even those who haven’t significantly changed body composition.

This study evaluated 20 obese adults over a  12-week period.  The participants ate 10 grams of freeze-dried mangos every day throughout the course of the study.  Despite the fact that the body measurement index (BMI) actually increased among female participants, their blood sugar levels were found to be lower after mangos were added to their diets.

Though the exact mechanism by which mangos affect blood sugar is unknown, the nutritional value is undoubted.  Mangos are naturally high in prebiotic dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and antioxidant vitamins A and C.  In addition to the effects on blood sugar, mangos have also been linked to preventing colon and breast cancers, and are proven to be effective inhibitors of prostate and skin cancers.

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Sourced from: Medical News Today, Mangos Help Regulate Blood Sugar Levels Among Obese People

A new study from Harvard Medical School concludes that people with faith in God may experience a boost in treatment for mental illness. Though the study did not look at specific spiritual beliefs, it did find that those who described themselves as having a strong faith in a higher power were twice as likely to respond to treatment.

In this study, 159 participants were asked to rate their belief in God and their expectations for the effectiveness of treatment on a five-point scale.  The participants were already patients at the Behavioral Health Partial Hospital program in Belmont, Massachusetts, and were receiving treatment for various mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety.  Believers were more likely to expect therapeutic benefits, and those who had more than a “slight” belief in God were more than twice as likely to respond to treatment.

The study results, however, can’t necessarily prove any cause or effect; the researchers aren’t sure whether spirituality caused the treatment boost, some other factor played a role or if spiritual people, perhaps, are somehow healthier than others.

More research is needed on the subject, but the study gives weight to the belief that external forces—religious beliefs, family and friends or nature—can help people respond more positively to treatments for mental illnesses.

NEXT: Mangos help regulate blood sugar in obese

Sourced from: Live Science, Belief in God May Boost Treatment of Mental Illness