Leptin Redeemed? Hormone Plus Exercise May Prevent Weight Gain

More than 34 percent of American adults — about 72 million people — are obese or overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scientists once hoped leptin, a hormone that sends the body chemical signals to stop eating and use stored energy, would be a weight-loss weapon. Studies in thin animals looked promising but overweight animals and people didn’t respond the same way, likely because their bodies already overproduce leptin, causing them to develop resistance to the hormone. But now University of Florida researchers say pairing leptin with just a minor amount of exercise seems to revive the hormone’s ability to fight fat again. read more

Read the whole article

See latest science articles from Scientific Blogging