Study: Brain injury from high-fat foods may be part of why diets fail

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/12/30/134511/study-brain-injury-from-high-fat.html

Posted on Friday, December 30, 2011
By Carol M. Ostrum | The Seattle Times

You've heard "a minute on the lips, years on the hips," or some variation. But did it make you put down that frosted butter cookie?

No? OK, here's another bit of research to snack on: After humans and rodents eat a high-fat diet, their brains begin to show evidence of injuries in just 24 hours. If they keep eating that yummy fatty stuff continuously, the area of their brains that regulates weight - the hypothalamus - will show evidence of serious inflammation and structural damage. Researchers at the University of Washington and other institutions say they've found the first evidence that "hypothalamic neuron injury" is associated with obesity caused by a high-fat diet in rodents and humans. That may help explain, researchers said, why dieting and exercise often lead right back to a "set weight" for obese individuals.

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