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Overeating Can Throw Off Metabolism

(HealthDay News) -- New research shows that overeating triggers a metabolic response normally dormant in the hypothalamus region of the brain, even when a person hasn't gained weight.

"We discovered a very general disease pathway in the hypothalamus, a structure in the middle part of the brain which functions to regulate appetite, feeding behavior, energy and therefore body-weight balance and metabolic processes," said Dr. Dongsheng Cai, senior author of a paper published in the Oct. 3 issue of Cell that details the findings.

"Persistent stimuli from excessive amount of calories can trigger this response before the overt onset of obesity, and this response when induced can promote overeating, contributing to increased levels of caloric overconsumption," Cai added. "So, this process can be like a vicious cycle."

Although the study was conducted in mice, the authors believe the findings will also apply to humans.

Suppressing the pathway might be a potent weapon in the war to fight the burgeoning epidemic of overweight and obesity and its attendant problems, including heart disease and even cancer.

Two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese; one-third are obese.

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