Overeating: What if My Brain Loves to Eat?

We’ve all been there – you find something you enjoy eating and, next thing you know, you’ve devoured it until you’re uncomfortably over-stuffed. It seems obvious that this behavior likely occurs because we love the food we’re eating so much.

We don’t want to stop. While it may appear as if “love” for a food comes from the stomach or the tastebuds, it has a lot to do with the brain.

Foundational Research

It is known that our brain’s reward processes control appetite. In fact, scientists even pinpointed a neuron in the amygdala of our brain known as PKC-delta that tells us when to stop eating.

A new study has taken this discovery to the next level in an attempt to determine if other neurons impacted our appetite as well.

New Discoveries

The process used in the study is incredibly complicated but the results are pretty straight-forward: when the mice were eating, a neuron known as HTR2a becomes activated, causing feelings of reward which compel the mouse to keep eating even after they are full.

Even more fascinating was researcher’s discovery of how the HTR2a neuron interacts with the PKC-delta neuron mentioned previously. Basically, they can mutually inhibit one another.

That is, eating something terrible activates PKC-delta and tells us to stop eating, inhibiting HTR2-a cells. The same is true in reverse; eating something delicious activates HTR2a cells, telling us to keep eating and inhibiting PKC-delta cells.

How Does This Apply to Humans?

While the impact of these neurons is only shown in mice, researchers feel strongly that the same processes likely occur in humans. If so, it would have significant implications regarding food consumption and the reward system.

For example, it could provide a neurological explanation for the moment discussed at the beginning of this article. The reason you may continue to eat something you enjoy even after you are full is because HTR2a is activated, leading to feelings of reward that compel you to keep eating beyond satiation.

These scientific discoveries make it clear that people’s relationships to food and appetite are much more complicated than they seem. As such, helping people with this association will never be as simple as focusing solely on their psychology, biology, or neurology.

About the Author: Margot Rittenhouse is a therapist who is passionate about providing mental health support to all in need and has worked with clients with substance abuse issues, eating disorders, domestic violence victims and offenders, and severely mentally ill youth.

As a freelance writer for Eating Disorder and Addiction Hope and a mentor with MentorConnect, Margot is a passionate eating disorder advocate, committed to de-stigmatizing these illnesses while showing support for those struggling through mentoring, writing, and volunteering. Margot has a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.

References:

[1] Douglass, A. M., et al. (2017). Central amygdala circuits modulate food consumption through a positive-valence mechanism. Nature Neuroscience, 20, 1384-1394.

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Published on October 20, 2017.
Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on October 20, 2017.
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com