This article is from the WSSF 2013 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.

Submitted by Laura Tukey, ME

A study at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida, found rats eating high-fat, high-calorie foods affects the brain much like cocaine and heroin. Rats eating these foods in large enough quantities led to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction. By overconsuming these types of foods, it triggers addiction-like neuroadaptive responses in brain reward circuitries which drives compulsive eating which leads to obesity. Levels of the D2 dopamine receptors were significantly reduced in the brains of the obese animals, similar to what happens in human drug addictions.

So this shows how important it is to eat right not only for people, but to feed our rats the proper diet.