In today’s fast-paced and increasingly disconnected world, feelings of loneliness and social isolation have become all too common. While we often think of loneliness as an emotional state, new research from UCLA Health suggests that it can have profound effects on our physical health as well, particularly when it comes to our eating habits and risk of obesity.

The recent study published in JAMA Network Open sheds light on the complex relationship between perceived social isolation, brain function, eating behaviors, and mental health. Scientists found that individuals who reported feeling lonely exhibited differences in how their brains responded to food cues compared to those who felt more socially connected.