Our brains, bodies, and fat | BBC Documentary
Professor Jimmy Bell and Dr Tony Goldstone (Metabolic and Molecular Imaging) have offered their expertise to a BBC documentary series on rising levels of obesity.
The three-part series, currently showing on BBC Two, explores the growing culture of over-eating, and investigates the root of the problem. Presenter Jacques Peretti delves into the commercial, political, and biological origins of a growing obesity crisis.
Research in the Metabolic and Molecular Imaging group aims to reveal the mechanisms underpinning the development of obesity and insulin resistance, by examining the interaction between genes, internal homeostatic mechanisms, and the environment.
In the clip below, Professor Jimmy Bell gives Jacques Petretti an insight into “the fat we can’t see”. An MRI scan can reveal information about the hidden layers of fat in our body.
Dr Tony Goldstone’s research into the brain’s response to food adds a fascinating piece of the puzzle. Changes in brain activity when a subject is presented with images of different foods reveal how our eating behaviour is regulated.
You can watch the full first episode on the BBC iPlayer, and read more in this recent Guardian article.
