Study Links Low Neurotensin Levels to Obesity and Loss of Food Pleasure

New research reveals how chronic high-fat diets diminish neurotensin in the brain, disrupting reward responses and driving habitual overeating.

A study published in *Nature* identifies low levels of the brain peptide neurotensin as a key factor in the loss of pleasure from eating high-fat foods in obese individuals.
Chronic high-fat diets reduce neurotensin levels in brain circuits tied to dopamine, blunting the reward response to enjoyable foods like sugar and fat.
Restoring neurotensin levels through dietary changes or genetic manipulation was shown to normalize weight gain, improve mobility, and reduce anxiety in experimental models.
The findings challenge assumptions that overeating in obesity is solely driven by pleasure, showing it can become automatic or habitual due to diminished reward responses.
Researchers suggest that replenishing neurotensin could help obese individuals regain healthy eating behaviors, offering a potential new approach to combat the global obesity epidemic.