Weight Loss Research: How weight-loss surgery reduces sugar cravings ♦ Stored fat fights against the body's attempts to lose weigh ♦ Scientists unravel brain circuits involved in cravings

Scientists unravel brain circuits involved in cravings Researchers studying rats have discovered that activation of designer neural receptors can suppress cravings in a brain region involved in triggering those cravings. The study is the first to systematically show how designer brain receptors and designer drugs work together to change how cues for food stimulate motivation.

How weight-loss surgery reduces sugar cravings Weight loss surgery curbs the sweet tooth by acting on the brain's reward system, according to a new study. The researchers found that gastrointestinal bypass surgery, which is used to treat morbid obesity and diabetes, reduced sugar-seeking behavior in mice by reducing the release of a reward chemical called dopamine in the brain. The findings suggest that positive outcomes are more likely if sugary foods seem less rewarding after surgery

Stored fat fights against the body's attempts to lose weight The fatter we are, the more our body appears to produce a protein that inhibits our ability to burn fat, suggests new research. The findings may have implications for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic diseases

Low sugar diet makes foods taste sweeter but does not change preferred level of sweetness New research reveals that while foods such as vanilla pudding taste sweeter following three months on a low-sugar diet, the level of sweetness most preferred in foods and beverages does not change. People on the low-sugar diet quickly returned to their previous levels of sugar intake when allowed a diet of their choice. Together, the findings may inform public health efforts to reduce the amount of added sugars that people consume in their diets.