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Say it ain't so!  But that euphoric high you get from running is all chemical, not the least bit spiritual. According to a new survey, apparently that sense of freedom and joy we get from running is not just from endorphins but from a hormone called leptin (which also supposedly causes us to lose -- or not lose -- weight, but that's a story for another day). The "runner’s high" phenomenon is also caused by dopamine, an important neurotransmitter for motivation, newswise.com reports.  "We discovered that the rewarding effects of endurance activity are modulated by leptin, a key hormone in metabolism. Leptin inhibits physical activity through dopamine neurons in the brain," Stephanie Fulton, a researcher at the CRCHUM and lead author of an article published today in the journal Cell Metabolism , tells newswise. Secreted by adipose tissue, leptin helps control the feeling of satiety. This hormone also influences physical activity. "The more ...

A new study has found that, no matter how hard we try, the pounds we so painstakingly lose, just about all the time, come back. Researchers have discovered that "the way the stomach detects and tells our brains how full we are becomes damaged in obese people but does not return to normal once they lose weight, according to new research from the University of Adelaide ." I don't know about you but when I'm trying to lose weight (just about always), I have to work really hard to make sure I stop eating when I'm full.  I have a variety of methods.  I put my fork down between bites.  I try to drink a lot of water.  And when I've truly had enough, I don't decide to go back for seconds because hey, they just look so good. I suppose eating in front of the TV, or while standing up, doing chores, probably doesn't help. But the study discovered that "researchers believe this could be a key reason why most people who lose weight on a diet eventua...