Fighting against excess weight means doing it against human nature: when someone with obesity sees an image of food rich in fat and sugar, their brain reward circuits are turned on, that is, the neural networks related to pleasure , desire and the motivation. This is so and has been repeatedly proven by neuroscience . What has been less studied is whether this stimulus has the same capacity to lead to perdition as others theoretically as powerful as the possibility of making money .
This is what a group of researchers from the Mind, Brain and Behavior Center (CIMCYC) of the University of Granada set out to find out when they applied the functional magnetic resonance imaging technique to 21 obese adults, 21 overweight and 39 normal weight. All of them were shown pictures of different foods – such as hamburgers or pieces of fruit – and were asked how much they were willing to pay for each of them .
They also underwent a test in which they would receive various amounts of money if they correctly pressed a button when a star appeared.
The results showed the higher the body mass index (BMI), the more the reward circuit was activated when viewing photos of greasy and / or sugary foods. In contrast, overweight people scored higher on the money test, not obese people . After crossing the threshold of a BMI of between 27 and 32, the level of reaction triggered by the expectation of obtaining money decreases: their neuronal patterns were similar to those of healthy-weight volunteers.
As the researchers indicate, their work may be useful in differentiating between the reactions of overweight and obese individuals and in seeking pleasurable stimuli similar to those of food and “diverting attention” from obese people .
