Through genomic studies, brain imaging, and animal research models, scientists have mapped out the brain circuitry that may drive eating disorders. Scientists have discovered that the neurobiological pathways of seemingly distinct groups of psychiatric disorders like drug addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder overlap significantly with that of eating disorders.1 Having a deeper understanding of the brain’s […]

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Researchers discover that a melanin-concentrating hormone signaling pathway in the brain is involved in regulating impulsive eating. Impulsivity has been linked to overeating, drug or gambling addiction, attention-deficient disorder, and Parkinson’s disease. Most of us at one time or another have given into irresistible food cravings and later regretted it. Although impulsive eating can be […]

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A new study looks at how feeding and the desire to eat is regulated by stress-related emotional responses. Eating is a behaviour that is strongly influenced by stress-related emotional responses. Emotional states, in response to potential environmental dangers, compete with the desire to eat thus making eating a complex behaviour. Temporary changes to eating habits […]

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In a study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, researchers examined the capacity of food insecurity to increase the likelihood of binge eating disorder. Food security is known as the capacity to afford foods that provide nutritional value for a healthy life. Food insecurity, which is the inability to afford or acquire nutritious […]

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A recent study investigated food addiction symptoms their connections to obesity, eating patterns, and abnormal eating behaviour. Obesity is quickly becoming a global epidemic with over 1.9 billion adults above 18 years old being overweight in 2014. The Turkey National and Health Survey (TNHS) indicates that obesity and overweight prevalence among Turkish adults is between […]

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Research using animal models explains how binge eating could be a trigger for alcoholism and other addictive behaviours, particularly in adolescence. Adolescence can be a hard time for many. During this period of brain development, researchers have found that many teenagers often experience a heightened sensitivity to impulsive drives. Coupled with an immature inhibitory system, […]

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A recent article investigated the effects of visual cues and their relation to skewed perceptions of body size and levels of body positivity or satisfaction. Many young adults and adolescents suffer from a misperception of body size. People often perceive their own bodies as being smaller than or larger than it actually is and struggles […]

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A recent news story in Science discusses why targeting the LEAP2-ghrelin system may help to treat chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes. Twenty years ago, researchers discovered the “hunger hormone” ghrelin. Investigators initially thought that ghrelin might stimulate one’s appetite; therefore, it was logical to hypothesize that blocking it would reduce one’s appetite and […]

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