Some scientists claim obesity may be the result of a chemical imbalance. Federal researchers tested dopamine levels in the brains of several obese volunteers. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain producing feelings of satisfaction or pleasure. Patients were injected with a chemical tag that binds with dopamine and sends a signal back to the tag.
Results show obese people have fewer brain receptors for dopamine.
Researchers believe their patients ate more to stimulate the pleasure circuits in their brains. Giving obese people more dopamine may be an alternative to traditional weight loss programs. If you're trim everywhere else but have a big belly, it could be due to stress. High cortisol levels can increase visceral fat which is linked with diabetes and heart disease. Other factors that can increase cortisol aside from stress, are high fat diets, smoking, drinking and steroids.