Fat loving brain cells!

Eating cheeseburgers can cause massive weight gains in humans and also has an affect on mice. Eating high-fat foods can cause mice to pack on new nerve cells in their brains. One would think that more brain cells is a good thing, but it actually has a negative affect on the mice. The new cells cause weight gain in the animals. Developed research shows how the brain controls weight and can lead to anti-obesity treatments in humans.

A study showed mice that ate rodent versions of Big Macs actually gained weight and had increased nerve cell production. After four weeks of this unhealthy diet, the mice had four times as many nerve cells as before. Scientists are unsure about the effects these new cells have on animals' metabolisms. Neuroscientist, Seth Blackshaw, and his team shut down production of the cells with a laser. Even though the same diet continued, the mice didn't gain as much weight as the mice with ongoing production. It's also unsure whether or not this same process occurs in humans. I thought this article was interesting because I never knew someone's diet could affect their cell production. This could lead to major discoveries about preventing obesity in humans.