Fatty foods increase appetite

Fatty foods may damage the brain’s hypothalamus, the region responsible for regulating a person’s appetite, according to a recent study at the British Science Festival. “The hypothalamus is a small area at the base of the brain containing neurons that control the amount of food we eat and the energy we expend,” said Lynda Williams of the Rowett Institute for Nutrition and Health at Aberdeen University. “However, this control breaks down during obesity— the system appears not to work— and we don’t really know why this happens,” she added.

First Published: Sep 14, 2012 19:00 IST