Weight Management and Hormones

Exciting new research into hormonal infulences on weight management may lead to an understanding of obesity that could have far-reaching effects on our general health and well being.

Several articles covering areas of research are of particular relevance given the major contribution that obesity has in many major chronic and debilitating disease states.

Research in to the hormone Leptin, secreted by fat (adipose) tissue, by Umut Ozcan and others is helping to unlock the role that this important hormone plays in obesity.

Leptin's predominat role is in appetite suppression and this is seen particularly in the hypthalamus.

Leptin resistance as a consequence of 'stress' in the endoplasmic reticulum of cells leads to an increase in appetite and weight gain.

The original article link:

http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/news.asp?artid=13086
(Source: Cell Metabolism: Children's Hospital Boston: January 2009)


Additional studies at Yale indicate that oestrogen has a similar role to Leptin in regulating weight although it is independent of Leptin or it's receptors.


Link to original article:

Tamas L. Horvath, chair and professor of Comparative Medicine and professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine.
(Source: Nature Medicine: Yale School of Medicine: January 2007.)

http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/news.asp?artid=8996