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obesity

This shows a woman holding chocolate and a table with pain pills.

·October 8, 2025·6 min read

Why Comfort Food Feels Like Medicine for People in Chronic Pain

A new study reveals that more than two-thirds of people living with chronic pain turn to comfort foods—especially chocolate—for emotional relief and distraction during flare-ups. Eating provides temporary pleasure and even mild pain relief, likely due to biological effects of high-calorie foods on the brain’s reward and pain systems.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 2, 2025·4 min read

Tiny Fat Messengers May Link Obesity to Alzheimer’s Plaque Buildup

A groundbreaking study reveals how obesity may drive Alzheimer’s disease through tiny messengers called extracellular vesicles released from fat tissue.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 23, 2025·5 min read

Newly Discovered Brain Neurons Hold Key to Energy Balance and Obesity

Summary: Researchers uncovered a new subtype of hypothalamic neurons, called Crabp1 neurons, that serve as powerful regulators of energy expenditure....

Featured Neuroscience

·September 10, 2025·5 min read

Brain ‘Dial’ That Controls Urge to Eat Discovered

Researchers have uncovered a brain circuit in mice that acts as a “dial” for consumption, controlling the urge to eat sweets, fats, salt, and other foods. The circuit links the amygdala to the BNST, a region tied to feeding and reward.

This shows a pregnant woman and a brain.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 12, 2025·4 min read

Pre-Pregnancy Obesity Linked to Autism Risk

A new study reveals how maternal obesity before pregnancy can program autism-related behaviors in offspring through lasting epigenetic changes in egg cells. Using IVF and embryo transfer in mice, researchers isolated the pre-conception effects, finding altered DNA methylation patterns that disrupted genes such as Homer1.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 7, 2025·3 min read

Astrocytes in Obesity: Brain Cells That Control Metabolism & Cognition

A new study reveals that astrocytes, star-shaped brain cells in the striatum, are key players in how obesity alters brain function and metabolism. Researchers showed that manipulating astrocyte activity in obese mice improved their cognitive flexibility and metabolic regulation.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 30, 2025·3 min read

Tiny Brain Cell Cluster Found to Drive Obesity and Overeating

Scientists have identified a small, specialized group of neurons in the mouse brain that directly influence eating behavior and weight gain. These PNOC/NPY cells, found in the hypothalamus, increase food intake when activated and are also present in the human brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 20, 2025·5 min read

Acetate and Bacteria Team Up to Burn Fat

A new study reveals that acetate—when paired with specific gut bacteria—can significantly reduce fat and liver mass in both normal and obese mice. Researchers used a supplement called AceCel, which delivers acetate directly to the large intestine, promoting the growth of Bacteroides bacteria.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 13, 2025·6 min read

Zepbound Outperforms Wegovy in Head-to-Head Weight Loss Trial

In a 72-week clinical trial, tirzepatide (Zepbound) led to significantly greater weight loss than semaglutide (Wegovy), with participants losing an average of 20.2% of their body weight versus 13.7%. The study directly compared the two drugs at their highest doses in people with obesity but without diabetes.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 11, 2025·5 min read

Teen Obesity Linked to Brain Changes in Memory and Emotion Centers

A major new study shows that adolescents with abdominal obesity have significantly larger brain regions involved in memory and emotional regulation, raising concerns about how obesity affects brain development. MRI scans revealed that the hippocampus and amygdala were enlarged in teens with obesity, especially those with high waist-to-height ratios.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 26, 2025·8 min read

Why Belly Fat Expands With Age, and How to Target It

New research uncovers that aging activates a new type of stem cell that rapidly produces fat cells, explaining why belly fat often expands in middle age. Scientists found that aging triggers adipocyte progenitor cells (APCs) to evolve into committed preadipocytes, age-specific (CP-As), which actively generate new fat.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 26, 2025·4 min read

Early Antibiotic Use Linked to Higher Childhood Obesity Risk

A new study reveals that taking antibiotics within the first two years of life is associated with higher childhood body mass index (BMI) and increased obesity risk. Researchers found that early antibiotic exposure raised BMI, and increased the risk of being overweight by 9% and obese by 20%.