Study finds why some people with memory problems often overeat

A team of US scientists has discovered a specific group of brain cells that could explain why people with memory problems often overeat.

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The team showed that people who also keep forgetting about recent meals can trigger excessive hunger and can lead to disordered eating.

Researchers from the University of Southern California showed that the group of brain cells can create memories of meals, encoding not just what food was eaten but when it was eaten.

During eating, neurons in the ventral hippocampus region of the brain become active and form what the team of researchers call “meal engrams” -- specialised memory traces that store information about the experience of food consumption.