In a study published in ‘Neuroimage: Clinical’, conducted with 1351 young adults across different Body Mass Index (BMIs), scientists discovered a positive correlation between the hypothalamus in the brain and the Body Mass Index (BMI) of individuals.
The big point: The study showed that adults with obesity are likely to have a larger hypothalamus than those with healthier weight.
This matters because... The hypothalamus is the part of the brain which is responsible for appetite control among various species. A complex network of pathways in the hypothalamus function together to indicate hunger in the species.