Abstract
While the global prevalence of obesity has risen among both men and women over the past 40 years, obesity has consistently been more prevalent among women relative to men. Neuroimaging studies have highlighted several potential mechanisms underlying an individual’s propensity to become obese, including sex/gender differences. Obesity has been associated with structural, functional, and chemical alterations throughout the brain. Whereas changes in somatosensory regions appear to be associated with obesity in men, reward regions appear to have greater involvement in obesity among women than men. Sex/gender differences have also been observed in the neural response to taste among people with obesity. A more thorough understanding of these neural and behavioral differences will allow for more tailored interventions, including diet suggestions, for the prevention and treatment of obesity.
Highlights
IntroductionThe global prevalence of overweight (body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2 ) and obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2 ) has risen from 24.6% in 1980 to over one-third of the world’s population in 2015 [1]
The global prevalence of overweight (body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2 ) and obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2 ) has risen from 24.6% in 1980 to over one-third of the world’s population in 2015 [1]. this pattern has been seen in both sexes/genders, obesity is more common in women relative to men, independent of age, geographic region, or socioeconomic status [1]
We review multimodal neuroimaging findings as they relate to sex/gender differences in obesity
Summary
The global prevalence of overweight (body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2 ) and obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2 ) has risen from 24.6% in 1980 to over one-third of the world’s population in 2015 [1] This pattern has been seen in both sexes/genders, obesity is more common in women relative to men, independent of age, geographic region, or socioeconomic status [1]. Premenopausal women tend to have a higher subcutaneous to visceral fat ratio due to their high levels of estrogen. This pattern of fat distribution has been shown to protect against some metabolic complications [8]. Given the wide-spread adverse effects of obesity, it is important to understand the disparate prevalence of obesity among men and women
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