The brain's role in obesity and the importance of dopamine

JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association) reports on research recently presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience where researchers discussed their studies of the biological causes of overeating and obesity. One interesting comment of great practical importance: "Brain imaging of volunteers drinking a shake suggests that overweight persons with a gene variant associated with fewer dopamine receptors may be prone to impulsive eating." Functional medicine patients know better than most people how important dopamine signalling is for calm contentment, focus, satisfaction, etc. and how deficits can result in compensatory compulsive behaviors and addictions that are in fact attempts to self-medicate. How do we fix dopamine signalling? By restoring the resources the body needs to manufacture its own dopamine and the brain's capacity to respond to its stimulus.