The new study, published in the latest issue of the journal Cell, shows that Obesity is known to increase inflammation throughout the body and curbing it can help control the obesity to some extent.
Researchers based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of California, San Diego believe that the hypothalamus, a brain region that regulates the body's energy balance, can control the inflammation by the part IKK beta/NF kappa B, which is usually in a turned off mode.
During lab tests on mice, researchers found that KK beta/NF kappa B is turned on in the hypothalamus on a high-fat diet. An overload of calories throws critical portions of the brain out of control. This can happen even in the absence of any weight gain, according to the new studies in mice.
The researchers further noted that with that switch turned on in the hypothalamus, the mice gained weight and became resistant to insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar) and leptin (a hormone involved in feeling full), WebMD reports.
When the researchers turned off the switch using scientific methods, the results indicated that the mice stopped gaining weight even on a high-fat diet. However, researchers warned that it is not possible to turn off the switch off forever as inflammation helps body's immune systems.
Also, the findings may not lead to an effective anti-obesity drug because it could interfere with the immune system. The study might lead to a new way of controlling obesity and related diseases, the researchers conclude.
