Obesity treatment 'to target hypothalamus'

Obesity treatment could soon begin to shift its emphasis to developing medications which work within the hypothalamus region of the brain.

New research from the University of Washington has revealed that obese people often have some form of neural impairment in the activity of this brain structure.

The hypothalamus has a history of association with weight loss and a further study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, which was independent from the University of Washington trials, found that the neural region was in turn affected by obesity.

Scientist observed that obese people often suffer from a lack of nerve cell activation in the area.

Doctors explained that the findings could be significant as it will allow them to develop their understanding of how appetite is created in the brain and the way that individuals respond to it.

According to Cancer Research UK, obesity is a major contributing factor to an estimated 117,000 cases of cancer in the UK each year.

© Adfero Ltd

Obesity surgery news : 29 December 2011