Newsflash: Eating more makes mice fat.

Stop the presses!
Researchers say "... poor diet may increase risk of obesity, diabetes."
Oh Really?!


Actually, I cut out the important part:
Researchers say "brain pathway activated by poor diet may increase risk of obesity, diabetes."

It turns out that eating a high-fat diet and excess calories turns on a "master inflammation switch" in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. With the switch turned on, mice gained weight and became resistant to insulin and leptin (a hormone involved in feeling full).

When researchers genetically modified the mice so that the switch stayed off, the mice were more likely to maintain a normal weight.

Healthday reports that previous studies "had shown that eating too much triggered inflammatory responses in muscles, liver, and other metabolic tissues, changes that underlie the development of type 2 diabetes. ... But, it wasn't known if the same pathway was at work in the central nervous system."

Looks like it is (at least in mice).

In the future, medications desigend to attack this inflammation pathway in the hypothalamus might be a potent weapons in the war to fight the epidemic of obesity and its related problems, including heart disease, and even cancer.

For now, the best way to keep your master inflammation switch turned off may be the same old-same old. Eat right and exercise. Maybe it isn't news after all.

Source: Cell, October 3, 2008