According to research, more than 36% of the adult humans living in USA are suffering from (this figure does not include overweight children). This issue is not exclusively preserved for the United States alone; some other countries are experiencing the same issues. And interestingly, a very high percentage of this obesity is food-induced. This is what led to the research of "Switching off" the "hunger alarm" of the body.
While scientists were researching the dynamics behind the "hunger feeling", they found out that the neuron which is linked to the desire to eat is naturally temporarily switched off while seeing or smelling food. But the neurons only remains switched off only if the stomach reports to the brain that the person has actually eaten.
Now, the target is to suppress these neurons mechanically. This research was led by Professor Nicholas J. Betley (Penn's School department of biology). They found out that these hunger neurons can be suppressed by combined hormones which are released during digestion. When the hormones were introduced into the test subject (mouse), it interfered with the hunger neurons and switched off the effect of hunger. Prof Betley has also said that the same mechanism will work on humans in the same way.
Mechanism of hunger
Hunger is not something that should be explained in details, because we've all experience it at some point. But the understanding of this mechanism was the first step needed to map out the neurons concerned with hunger.
The purpose of this research is to control food-induced obesity by manipulating or working on the AgRP neurons. With this kind of therapy, the rate of food consumption will be reduced (people will eat, not because of hunger, but because it is prescribed). The simple logic here is:
Less food consumption = Less activities in the neurons = Loss of weight
Other benefits of this research apart from weight management.
There are other benefits embedded in this research if it works out fine. The "Mission-to-Mars" astronauts could use this to eliminate the need to munch in-between meals, thus preserving their food supply. Also, when the hunger is switched off, the entire body will focus more on the job at hand.
Also, this will reduce the effect of global food shortage. Of course, people on weight management that are on this therapy would delegate more food to people that truly need them.
But in my opinion; advances should be further made in this area to rule out the possibilities of future adverse effects of switching off hunger.
Tech Rules!!
References to further reading: Ref1, Ref2, Ref3
