A recent Clinical Nutrition study examines how significant weight loss in highly obese individuals influences their metabolism, psychological state, and decision-making processes. Study: Weight loss impacts risky decisions in obesity. Image Credit: Pixel-Shot / Shutterstock.
com The role of mood and glucose on how decisions are made Research on human evolution has shown that signals for internal energy resources, such as blood glucose levels, have been essential for survival. For example, decisions about fighting for territory and mating have been associated with energy expenditure in the form of metabolic signals. Metabolic signals also guide behaviors to proactively adapt to fluctuating environments, which reduces food insecurities.
Glucose is an effective signal of internal energy resources because it provides calories for cellular functions. Glucose also informs the brain about available energy reserves, enabling the brain to evaluate the necessity of acquiring more energy resources. In addition to glucose, mood also influences decision-making processes.
From an evolutionary perspective, a low mood prevented our ancestors from searching for food in hopeless situations. Emotional eating, which involves food intake to comfort an individual’s mood, is considered a maladaptive behavior. A low mood often induces emotional eating, which can lead to the overconsumption of high-calorie foods and, as a result, an increased risk of obesity.
Obesity can alter metabolism rates, whic.