The results revealed that in obese versus lean individuals, brain glucose metabolism was significantly higher in the brain's striatal regions, which are involved in processing of rewards. Moreover, obese individual's reward system responded more vigorously to food pictures, whereas responses in the frontal cortical regions involved in cognitive control were dampened.We are not fat because we are hungry.
"The results suggest that obese individuals' brains might constantly generate signals that promote eating even when the body would not require additional energy uptake," says Adjunct Professor Lauri Nummenmaa from the University of Turku.
We are hungry because we are fat.
