Health Library

Hypothalamic Obesity

What Happens in Hypothalamic Obesity?

When the hypothalamus is injured, the brain and the gut have a hard time understanding each other’s signals. The brain cannot “hear” the messages from the body fat, trying to tell the brain to turn off hunger. This mix up in the brain leaves the person always feeling hungry. Because the person is hungry, they will eat more and more. The body will store the extra energy from the food as fat. This can cause one to two pounds of weight gain a week.

As more and more weight is gained, the body begins to store fat in places that it usually does not, like muscles, the liver, and in and around other important organs in the belly. This can make it hard for these important organs to work right and it can harm the person’s health.

What Are Hypothalamic Obesity Symptoms?

Besides the feeling of non-stop hunger, the person may feel short-tempered or grouchy because the body makes more insulin. Insulin is a hormone the body makes to help handle food.

How is Hypothalamic Obesity Treated?

Some medications have been used with some success to treat hypothalamic obesity.

Gastric bypass surgery has also been found to help with weight loss and managing hunger in people with hypothalamic obesity. After surgery, the person loses weight. The body makes less insulin. The constant feelings of hunger are under better control.

Weight loss surgery is not the best option for everyone. It is recommended only after all other weight-loss plans have failed.