Your brain on drugs. Errr. I meant food.

As referenced in an earlier post, I had the opportunity to attend the recent International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm, Sweden a couple of weeks ago.  There was some research shown that demonstrates what our brains looks like when we're hungry.  It's a fascinating new angle on understanding obesity that uses the technology of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI's).  Said differently:  brain scans with cool colors that show neural activity as it is actually happening.

Researchers have used this technology to attempt to better understand the parts of the brains that get activated by different systems and pathways.  Some researchers now theorize that there are two pathways that show how brain activity relates to feelings of hunger:

1. Homeostatic:  this is basically the control mechanism our bodies use to manage our energy balance. They largely rely on hormones to either stimulate or suppress hunger depending on whether we have excess energy stores (i.e., have eaten enough).  Leptin levels are elevated to suppress hunger while grehlin levels are elevated when we need food.  Said differently, this system was designed to help us figure out when we need food or not.  It is not to say that the system works perfectly in guiding people to their swimsuit-fantasy selves, but it generally works on some level.  
2. Hedonic:  appropriately named, the hedonic system is theorized to stimulate people to consume "highly palatable" foods (and drugs) through dopamine release through something called the mesolimbic dopamine pathway.  Basically, when you see a picture of chocolate cake your brain goes fuzzy.  And you eat.  Or you really want to eat.  Badly.  

Recently, there has been research done that demonstrates that the hedonic system goes into overdrive for people who struggle with their weight vs. people who don't.  Apparently, those of us who are challenged with excessive food intake (like me) have brains that light up like a Christmas tree when we see something yummy.  Apparently, the naturally thin do not have this neural-fireworks display to nearly the same degree.  

Interesting, there has also been research that seems to indicate that those who have lost weight and kept it off have a different part of our brains that also lights up when we see something yummy.  It is basically, the part of the brain (the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex in case you were wondering) that helps us regulate against our impulsive behaviors.  A friend of mine asked me if such a part of the brain could be implanted or purchased.  Presuming that medical technology for this kind of quick fix does not yet exist, it sounds like the way to get this part of the brain activated may be more like developing a new muscle, presumably through practice and training.  

So what's my professional take on all of the above?  fMRI is a hot new area in obesity research that holds a lot of interesting long term promise.  It's still new technology (as it relates to obesity), and the brain is a complicated piece of equipment.  As a result, curiosity into these studies is definitely warranted, but a wait-and-see scientific patience is as well.  It's very new stuff.  

So what's my personal take on all of the above?  I totally relate to these theories.  My brain totally gets fuzzy when I see my favorite trigger foods.  I cannot look at a muffin without my heart skipping a beat and my head getting a weird buzzing sensation.  To be clear, I haven't had a muffin in years, and I still have a frenzied response when I see one.  

At the same time, I seem to have gotten pretty adept at not eating said muffin.  Therefore, it's possible that my self-restraint brain biceps have gotten at least a little bit toned.  That said, if I were locked in a closet with a blueberry muffin for a day, I would surely eat it.  So I cannot rely on my restraint muscle completely.  I also need to keep myself out of harms way by avoiding being around those foods that make my brain-heart go pitter-pat.  

It's all common sense stuff, but it's interesting to see how it's correlated to neuroscience.  Does that mean it's not brain surgery?  Let's hope surgery isn't required.  

How do  you manage your own dopamine pathways to keep yourself from spiraling into a food frenzy?

Cheers,

dk