I find this quite interesting indeed, but diet obviously is an issue for the thousands of over weight Americans, and lack of exercise so no one can just point the finger for being over weight at hormones.

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Possible Hormonal Connection to Food Preferences Revealed

Researchers from Addenbrooke’s Hospital at the University of Cambridge have shown that leptin might play an instrumental role in whether or not people find specific foods appetizing. The results from this research were recently published as “Leptin Regulates Striatal Regions and Human Eating Behavior” in Science, the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Previous research has already connected leptin, a hormonal neurotransmitter, to hunger and satiety. As the researchers note: “Studies of the fat-derived hormone leptin have provided key insights into the molecular and neural components of feeding behavior and body weight regulation. An important challenge lies in understanding how the rewarding properties of food interact with, and can override, physiological satiety signals and promote overeating.”

Their research entailed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain responses in human subjects with genetic leptin deficiency after viewing images of food—both before and after seven days of leptin replacement therapy. Results showed that leptin modulated neural activation in key regions of the brain, suggesting that “the hormone acts on neural circuits governing food intake to diminish perception of food reward, while enhancing the response to satiety signals generated during food consumption,” note the researchers.  

Studies of the fat-derived hormone leptin have provided key insights into the molecular and neural components of feeding behavior and body weight regulation. An important challenge lies in understanding how the rewarding properties of food interact with, and can override, physiological satiety signals and promote overeating. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain responses in two human subjects with congenital leptin deficiency who were shown images of food before and after 7 days of leptin replacement therapy. Leptin was found to modulate neural activation in key mesolimbic regions, suggesting that the hormone acts on neural circuits governing food intake to diminish perception of food reward, while enhancing the response to satiety signals generated during food consumption.

Continued research into how the brain’s functions affect hunger, satiety and desire for specific foods might lead to better methods of preventing and treating obesity.