The map that may lead to a new obesity treatment

A better understanding of the pathways in the human hypothalamus has huge possibilities for medicine

- PROF GILES YED

I have been working in the field of obesity for nearly 30 years, largely trying to understand bodyweight regulation through genetics. And what I know is that the genetics of bodyweight is, by definition, the genetics of how the brain influences our appetite.

Broadly speaking, your brain needs to know two things to influence appetite. First, it needs to know how much fat you’re carrying (as your long-term energy source, it’s directly related to how long you would last without food). Second, it needs to know how much you’re eating and have just eaten (these short-term energy signals are going to come from your gut).

These long-term fat and short-term gut signals come in the form of hormones secreted into your bloodstream. When they reach your brain, it senses them and influences your next interaction with a refrigerator, restaurant menu or supermarket.

The key area of the brain that acts as a ‘fuel sensor’ for these signals is the hypothalamus. Roughly the size of your thumbnail and the shape of an almond, it sits at the base of the middle of your brain.