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New master switch found in brain that regulates appetite
physorg.com — Body weight and fertility have long known to be related to each other women who are too thin, for example, can have trouble becoming pregnant. Now, a master switch has been found in the brain of mice that controls both, and researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies say it may work the same way in humans.
insaincain02- 807 diggs
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- hastrobemo, on 08/31/2008, -2/+7Its going to be interesting to see which medical advances tht will be done from this in the end.
- Khast, on 09/01/2008, -0/+2Great, more "ask your doctor if" commercials on TV...just what we need.
- statrick, on 09/01/2008, -0/+1ever see the movie children of men?
- awarnick, on 08/31/2008, -11/+4Good.. Fat people will no longer have a excuse to eat 16 donuts.
- starstuck, on 09/01/2008, -6/+3But I have a gland problem, every time my elbow bends my glad flies open!
- lemonpies, on 09/01/2008, -6/+2and "bone thin" people (that do it for fashion or coz they are on coke) have no excuse not to eat 16 donuts and put some flesh on their bones either!
- coalpha, on 09/01/2008, -4/+2fatass
- JaronDiggGuy, on 09/01/2008, -0/+2Not true...past a certain amount of food, ie more than a proper meal, ie not gorging, 'we' tend to get sick of what we're eating, and food for a time is not an appetizing thought.
- MadHarvey, on 09/01/2008, -0/+2You mean, you 'lose your appetite'?
Gosh if we could somehow find a 'switch' in the brain, that controlled your appetite, maybe your comment wouldn't make any sense anymore...
- netneutrality, on 09/01/2008, -0/+2And the rest of us will! Excellent!
- playaj20008, on 09/01/2008, -1/+13I bet the ganja does this.
- dmark77, on 09/01/2008, -0/+1Ganja + Morning Workout = Mexican Food for Lunch :)
- dickybrown, on 09/02/2008, -0/+1Mexican Food for Lunch + working in a cubicle = Coworkers disgusted by the gas :)
- dmark77, on 09/01/2008, -0/+1Ganja + Morning Workout = Mexican Food for Lunch :)
- barblibrarian, on 09/01/2008, -0/+2Hallelujah!! Fix my switch!!
- webkami, on 09/01/2008, -5/+14Thanks, will come handy in fasting during Ramdhan. A++++++
- breezytrees, on 09/01/2008, -1/+18that would entirely negate the purpose of Ramdhan.......
- s0m31john, on 09/01/2008, -4/+8Or you could just not let your imaginary friend tell you when you can and can't eat.
- Jus2Gud, on 09/01/2008, -3/+2Or you could stop being so condescending to people who hold a different set of beliefs to you...
- sputza, on 09/01/2008, -2/+1Or you could continue eating...
- wh3873, on 09/01/2008, -1/+1They have a holiday for those cheap noodles sweet.
- EmperorAwesome, on 09/01/2008, -0/+1Shikradhan?
- IWDA4, on 09/01/2008, -10/+4Omm nomm nomm
- kcmo08, on 09/01/2008, -2/+0You did it wrong.
- coalpha, on 09/01/2008, -13/+4I hate fat people
- TremorX, on 09/01/2008, -0/+3Why? Did one steal your sandwich when you were a tot?
- rrittenhouse, on 09/01/2008, -0/+3Thats what those skinny bastards get!
- TremorX, on 09/01/2008, -0/+3Why? Did one steal your sandwich when you were a tot?
- lajaw, on 09/01/2008, -4/+2Maybe those liberal women (NOW) will find their switch and turn it on.
- bigsteve3OOO, on 09/01/2008, -8/+2hey fatso its not your fault!!!!!!!!!!go celebrate by eating a whole ham.
- crapolatime, on 09/01/2008, -2/+5I eat only when needed. When I am a bum for days, I don't eat much. But when I am doing work, I can pig out. Body regulates me perfectly.
- kcmo08, on 09/01/2008, -8/+1These comments suck.
- dannyboy3020, on 09/01/2008, -5/+3Saying that doesn't automatically get you dugg up anymore.
- Khast, on 09/01/2008, -2/+2You're not making that intelligent of a comment yourself. Maybe you should lay down and think of something to say, and then post it. The comments don't have to suck, if you can say something truly insightful.
...but that's expecting too much for some people.
- LogitechG15, on 09/01/2008, -0/+5Another day on Digg, another cure for cancer....wait
- Asriel86, on 09/01/2008, -2/+3That switch has previously been referred to as "marijuana."
- sputza, on 09/01/2008, -0/+3They should sell this "switch" at Walmart.
- DeceasedVirus, on 09/01/2008, -0/+1As a wal-mart employee i can tell you, We Would if we could. Know how much we made off that alli thing Wal-mart seems to live off of women who think they should change their outward appearance. I on the other hand like a lil' meat on there bones
- mstachiw, on 09/01/2008, -2/+3this over simplifies things... its actually more cyclical than binary.
If you eat more you get tired more quickly and less likely to exercise
Over eating expands your stomach and your body's expectation for food while lack of exercise slows your metabolism
Over time quantity of food and lack of exercise with a slow metabolism increase weight usually decreasing motivation, self esteem, self image
Left unchecked this only magnifies and perpetuates the amount of weight gain and poor health
The only way to stop this cycle is being aware of your body's intake and activities, making conscious decisions to limit calorie intake while increasing exercise, and committing to this over a period of time (hopefully as a longterm lifestyle change).
It also seems that research into finding a switch is sending the wrong message: You can live an unhealthy life and have it all fixed (eventually) by buying a magic pill. - bortakmeki, on 09/01/2008, -0/+0Pie and Cake shops are safe at last!
- jasoninoakland, on 09/01/2008, -1/+1Interesting. Our bodies' responses really have evolved to work the way they do, even if we don't like it.
- RevAradia, on 09/01/2008, -2/+1WHATever.
- kakapu4u, on 09/01/2008, -0/+2To those who have not read the article, it's not about eating. It's about leptin, which is a hormone that is produced mostly by fat cells but also by the liver, ovaries, placenta, and bone marrow. Leptin lets the brain know that we have had enough food, and we don't need to eat anymore. Times are good.
What happens if you are leptin resistant? Well your brain doesn't hear the signals that you've had enough food. It thinks you are still hungry, which also has the effect of turning down reproductive function. If you're hungry, your energy needs to be focused on sustaining yourself, not wasted on reproduction when your brain thinks you'll be dead in 3 days anyway.
Since leptin is produced primarily by fat cells, clearly fatter people have more leptin. The question is why it doesn't do its normal job. With basic chemistry and genetics, this boils down to four possibilities:
1. Leptin produced by fatter folks is deformed and as such is not recognized by the leptin receptors. Think of this like a deformed key - it can't open what it's supposed to open.
2. Leptin is intercepted on its way to the leptin receptors such that it cannot bind normally. This is like somebody stuck gum on the key - it can't open what it's supposed to open.
3. Leptin receptors are deformed such that the standard leptin molecules cannot bind - the standard key cannot open a deformed lock.
4. Leptin receptors are clogged with other molecules so leptin can't get in there and do its job - the standard key cannot open a clogged lock
Those interested in solving this problem need to devise ways of testing these four possibilties and then treating them. That's the hard part. - Ryan83, on 09/01/2008, -3/+1Great, another reason for people to be reactive instead of proactive about their weight. I'm not fat; I'm leptin resistant. Can't weight (bud da bum!) until they produce a pill for this!
My guess is that at the end of the day, this will be like insulin. Sure you can be born diabetic, but most diabetics had terrible terrible diets full of simple sugars and few vegetables or vitamin rich natural foods. It forces your pancreas to immediately produce tons of insulin, stressing it like the cord when a car bungee jumps off a bridge. Then you don't have a healthy diet, which might help it recover from all that stress. Eventually the pancreas has been so overly stressed for so long after producing insulin spikes that you become insulin resistant.
"But everyone else eats like this. My diet isn't THAT bad."
*****. Our modern diet is full of simple sugars, refined starches, bad fats, and empty calories with no natural vitamins, minerals, or micro-nutrients that it's amazing more people don't develop diabetes and obesity. Nature doesn't forgive your personal dietary decisions just because they are the product of groupthink. You have to take personal responsibility for your own diet, even if other people can take the same risk and are OK due to winning the genetic lottery.
It kills me when my roommate thinks his healthy meal of the day is a plate full of refined pasta, spaghetti sauce, and high-fat ground beef along with a cola. Your deluded self-satisfaction in eating "healthy" is nonsense, and your surprise when you don't lose weight after all this "healthy" eating reflects nothing but the fact that you want to feel like a victim of your circumstances without changing the fundamental behaviors that produced that weight in the first place. I don't say anything because preaching to someone who isn't interested in coming to the metaphorical church is wasted breath. - ceredron, on 09/01/2008, -0/+2Trust Physorg. Every once in a while, true knowledge is dropped from the internet in the realm of science, and this is the place you can trust the most. :P
- donttaseme, on 09/02/2008, -0/+1I want a bacon only mode!
- wrek, on 09/03/2008, -0/+0SHUT IT OFF!!! SHUT IT OFF!!!!
Wait, never mind, I'll just put the fork down. - sering, on 11/25/2008, -0/+1that's nice
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