Even before obesity declares itself, fatty and sweet foods cause chemical changes in the brain, which means that if a lover of fatty or sweet foods goes on a diet, he will feel just like an addict experiencing “breaking up”. So say researchers from the University of Montreal.
"Working with mice, whose brain is largely comparable to ours, we found that the neurochemical activity of the brain of animals that were kept on a fatty and sweet diet was not the same as that of those who ate healthy food," the scientists explain. “Changes in nutrition cause withdrawal symptoms and greater sensitivity to stressful situations, triggering a vicious cycle of unhealthy eating habits.”
For six weeks, one group of mice was fed low fat foods and the other high fat. Scientists have observed how different foods affect animal behavior.
Mice that ate fatty foods showed signs of anxiety, in particular, avoiding open areas. In addition, their brains have undergone changes. CREB is a molecule that controls the genes involved in the functioning of our brain and promotes the formation of memory. CREB has been much more activated in the brain of mice that eat fatty foods. These mice also had higher levels of corticosterone, a stress hormone, which explains their depression and negative behavioral cycle.
These results are food for thought about how to support people psychologically during their good efforts to change bad eating habits into healthier ones.
