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obesity

·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%.

This shows the shadow of an obese person and a clock.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 23, 2025·4 min read

Obesity Throws Metabolism Timing Off Balance

A new study reveals that while the molecular structure of liver metabolism remains intact during starvation, obesity disrupts the precise timing of metabolic responses. In healthy mice, key "hub" molecules like ATP and AMP responded rapidly and in a coordinated sequence to starvation.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 17, 2025·4 min read

Vagus Nerve Signals Link Diet to Socio-Economic Background

New research reveals that the vagus nerve, which helps regulate appetite, interacts with socio-economic status to influence eating behavior. In a chocolate tasting study, participants from higher socio-economic backgrounds showed stronger alignment between their internal hunger signals and food intake.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 16, 2025·3 min read

How Obesity Rewires the Brain’s Food Reward Circuits

A new research initiative is investigating how obesity reshapes brain circuits involved in reward, motivation, and emotion, potentially driving unhealthy food decisions. The cross-disciplinary team will use cutting-edge electrochemical techniques to measure real-time brain chemical responses to food-related stimuli in humans.