To prevent this, Brown and colleagues used machine learning-based algorithms to analyze MRI brain scans of 1,351 young adults with a range of BMI scores. They were looking for differences in the hypothalamus when comparing people who were underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obese.
In a study published in NeuroImage: Clinical, the team found that young adults who were overweight or obese had significantly greater hypothalamus volume overall. In fact, the team discovered a strong correlation between the volume of the hypothalamus and body mass index (BMI).
These volume differences were most noticeable in the hypothalamic subregions that control appetite by releasing hormones that balance feelings of hunger and fullness.
One possibility is that the change is related to inflammation, although the exact significance of the finding is unclear, including whether structural changes are a cause or an effect of body weight changes.