A country where 270 million people live below the poverty
line, obesity seems to be a distant issue, meant for the rich folks of the
first world. But India is under siege: junk food, alcohol and sedentary
lifestyle are leading us to silent self-destruction, making one in every five
Indian men and women either obese or overweight. Further, obesity among children
and adolescents too is rising rapidly. Over eating or excessive intake of food
is one of the major reasons of obesity among the masses. People who overeat
have a clinical disorder called binge eating disorder (BED). People with BED
compulsively eat large amounts of food in a short amount of time and feel guilt
or shame afterward. And they do so often: at least once a week over a period of
at least 3 months, thus leading to obesity. A recent research has led to the
discovery of a gene that could prevent over-eating. Scientists discovered a
gene that triggers a feeling of fullness and could help you prevent the urge to
overeat.
Researchers from Monash University in Melbourne and the
University of Copenhagen said their findings could lead to the development of a
drug that reduces appetite and increases desire for exercise. The gene, which
controls signals between the brain and the intestines, was discovered in
roundworms, but a similar one is found in people, said the scientists. It is
also believed to be behind the need to sleep after eating, which happens only
when the body has stored enough fat.
Associate Professor Roger Pocock who conducted the research
said, “When animals are malnourished they seek out food by roaming in their
environment. When they're well fed they have no need to roam, and when they're
fully sated they enter a sleep-like state." Dr Pocock further added,
"Because roundworms share so many genes with humans they are a great model
system to investigate and gain a better understanding of processes like
metabolism as well as diseases in humans."
The research, published in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, could pave the way for an alternative method to help
people stay slim, said the scientists. The roundworm was chosen for the
experiment because its brain is relatively simple, with just 302 neurons and
8,000 synapses. Humans, in contrast, have 100 trillion synapses and billions of
neurons - but still share up to 80% of genes with the worm, said Dr Pocock.
The development of such a drug can reduce the urge of eating
excess which will lead to decrease in the number of obese people throughout the
world. But like other medicines, exploitation of such an impactful invention
may lead to anemia, malnutrition and other such diseases which can be a
by-product of eating less or insufficient amount of food. Although for now it
sounds like a boon for every obese person who is also a sufferer of overeating.
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