Food on the brain
|
Listen to Tip |
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
Eating feeds the brain as well as the stomach. And researchers who studied brain images of teenagers found some teens' brains respond differently than others.
The scientists looked at data on thin teens. Some were at risk of obesity - for instance, both parents were overweight or obese. The others were not. All could get a chocolate milkshake - and money.
Eric Stice of the Oregon Research Institute:
``Adolescents at risk for obesity showed greater activation in reward circuitry in response to winning money as well as receiving a chocolate milkshake.'' (9 seconds)
Stice thinks people who may become obese are more sensitive to foods' rewards.
The study in the Journal of Neuroscience was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Learn more at hhs.gov.
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.