Withdrawal and depression from… dieting?

Just published today from the University of Montreal, this mouse study found that eating a high fat, sugary diet can actually change the neurochemistry of the brain, including the production of dopamine and the stress hormone corticosterone. These changes can lead to withdrawal-type symptoms and depression if sugary and fatty foods are removed from the diet. Even more fascinating is that these chemical alterations occur in the brain long before weight gain progresses to obesity, meaning that the struggle for healthy eating habits may begin long before the struggle for weight loss.