揭秘:垃圾食品为何让你欲罢不能

Fatty junk food destroys the brain cells that control weight, leading to a vicious circle of obesity, scientists have revealed. 科学家通过研究揭示了垃圾食品对健康的危害：因为热量超标的垃圾食品会破坏大脑中控制体重的细胞，并且有可能引发出现肥胖症。

The findings may explain why it is so hard for fat people to shift the pounds.

这项研究还解释了为何胖人想要甩掉几斤肥肉是如此的困难。

Researchers fed rats what they described as a 'typical high-fat American diet' and found they had doubled their calorie intake three days later.

研究人员们用被称为是“非常典型的美式高热量食物”来饲养小白鼠，并且发现白鼠在三天之后的热量摄取量竟然增加了一倍。

Further study showed they also had an inflammation in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain containing neurons that control body weight.

进一步的研究表明，白鼠的大脑中的下丘脑出现了炎症的状况，这部分大脑的神经元具有控制体重的功能。

This inflammation stopped a few days later but then recurred after four weeks.

这样的炎症在几天之后便消失了，不过在四周之后又再一次复发。

Lead researcher Dr Joshua Thaler, of the Diabetes and Obesity Centre of Excellence at the University of Washington in Seattle, said scientists also detected a healing response to brain injury called gliosis.

主导这项实验的是来自于西雅图华盛顿州立大学大学糖尿病与肥胖症研究中心的Joshua Thaler教授，他透露科学家还发现了一种应对这种伤害的复原机制，名叫胶质细胞增生。

He said: 'Gliosis is thought to be the brain equivalent of wound healing and is typically seen in conditions of neuronal injury, such as stroke and multiple sclerosis.

他说：“胶质细胞增生发生在大脑中就相当于身体伤口的自动愈合，这种情况通常发生在出现神经元的损伤时，例如中风和多发性硬化症等等。”

Dr Thaler said: 'The possibility that brain injury may be a consequence of the over-consumption of a typical American diet offers a new explanation for why sustained weight loss is so difficult for most obese individuals to achieve.

Thaler教授说：“大脑的损伤可能是由于过量的摄入高热量食物而造成的后果，这可能也解释了对于胖人来说，减肥为何会是如此的困难。”

'It is not yet clear whether this presumed neuronal injury is permanent, but it may contribute to weight gain.

“现在我们并不太清楚这种神经元的损伤是否是永久性的，不过这却导致了体重的增加。”

'If new medicines can be designed that limit neuron injury during overeating, they may be effective in combating the obesity epidemic.'

“如果能研发一种应对在暴饮暴食的情况下阻止神经元免受伤害的药物，那么它将有利于避免肥胖的出现。”