Indulging in fatty foods could destroy stomach's signals to the brain, according to a new study which gives insight why many dieters tend to regain the weight after losing it.
"A hormone in the body, leptin, known to regulate food intake, can also change the sensitivity of the nerves in the stomach that signal fullness. "In normal conditions, leptin acts to stop food intake. However, in the stomach in high-fat diet induced obesity, leptin further desensitises the nerves that detect fullness." Associate Professor Page said the two mechanisms combined meant that obese people needed to eat more to feel full, which fuels their obesity cycle. She said the results had "very strong implications for obese people, those trying to lose weight, and those who are trying to maintain their weight loss". "Unfortunately, our results show that the nerves in the stomach remain desensitised to fullness after weight loss has been achieved," she said. Associate Professor Page says the researchers were not yet sure whether the effect was permanent or just long-lasting.