Brain Scans Predict Weight Gain

Brain scans may be able to predict future weight gain, according to a new study. Researchers looked at brain activity of people while looking at images of food in and fMRI scanner and then recorded their weight gain six months later. Those who had the strongest activity in reward areas of the brain in response to the food cues had the greatest weight gain. They found similar effects with sexual images and reports of sexual activity six months after the brain scans. Kathryn Demos of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University co-authored the paper, published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, with Todd Heatherton and William Kelley of Dartmouth University.