If the scale won’t budge even after your best attempts to lose weight, don’t lose heart, your hormones could be the cause. US researchers have found that low levels of the sex hormone estrogen in certain parts of the brain can result in a raging appetite, while slowing down the metabolism. They hypothesise that these biological changes might be the reason why many obese dieters quickly ga n back the weight they wor< so hard to lose. Although more research is needed, the scientists are excited about the findings. Says lead study author, Dr Deborah Clegg, “We hadn’t previously thought of sex hormones as being critical regulators of fooc intake and body weight.” Estrogen receptors are located throughout the body, but researchers found two specific areas in the brain where they’re directly linked to energy balance.
This could be why a vast effort to persuade the public to change poor lifestyle habits hasn’t prevented rising obesity rates. This research has the potential to help doctors better understand why some of their patients can’t lose weight, while helping them prevent further Illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease, by balancing hormones to assist in weight loss.
