Joshua Thaler, author of a study on the subject, who has presented his findings at the endocrine society's 93rd annual meeting in Boston, suggested that the research could lead to medication that could halt brain damage due to overeating.
Mr Thaler said: "The possibility that brain injury may be a consequence of the overconsumption of a typical American diet offers a new explanation for why sustained weight loss is so difficult for most obese individuals to achieve."
The research focussed on the effects of a high-fat diet on rats, and the scientists involved in the experiment found that eating food with an abundance of fat affected the hypothalamus, which controls body weight.
Recent research from the Oregon Health & Science University's National Primate Research Centre, which was published in the journal Endocrinology, suggested that eating a high-fat diet while pregnant may increase the chances of stillbirth.
