Obese people appeared to have fewer brain receptors for dopamine, a chemical that helped to produce feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. This abnormal brain circuitry had also been found in people addicted to cocaine, alcohol and other drugs.

Scientists have discovered a brain chemical linked to drug addiction, which could contribute to obesity. The discovery could also lead to new ways to suppress food cravings in obese individuals.

In addition, the detection suggested that obese people might use food to trigger a drug-like effect on the brain's dopamine "pleasure" centers as they had fewer dopamine receptors.

It was unclear whether some people might have a naturally low number of dopamine receptors that predisposed them to overeating or if they had lost the receptors due to "chronic overstimulation" from a lifetime of overeating. It was possible that the eating patterns of obese people had sent their dopamine levels so high that their brains compensated by "closing the receptors".

Wang and his colleagues at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, compared brain scans from 10 obese subjects with those from 10 normal-weight participants. The team discovered that obese people had fewer dopamine receptors. The heavier the individual, the fewer the receptors.

Previous research has indicated that the food intake could influence dopamine levels and addictive drugs were known to boost dopamine concentrations thus creating their characteristic "high".

The Lancet (2001; 357:354-357) added that some scientists believed that the high rate of drug use and smoking among people with eating disorders could be partly explained by their increased need for dopamine.

Information provided is courtesy of and compiled by the Academy of Anti-aging Research staff, editors, and other reports.
 

Obesity is a disease and addiction, much like a drug addiction. Make no mistake about it.

The reason why 95 per cent of dieters fail is because of the failure to recognize that this very important fact. Like any addiction, successful treatment takes time. Allowing one to two years to shed excessive weight should be the norm.

Exercise is known to elevate dopamine levels, and very few successful diet programs can be sustained without a concurrent exercise program.