Hormonal
In obese individuals, elevated circulating leptin levels fail to suppress appetite or increase energy expenditure due to leptin resistance, rendering exogenous leptin therapy largely ineffective for weight loss.
If you are obese, your body likely already has high levels of leptin, but your brain has stopped listening to it. Simply taking leptin supplements or injections will not work for you because the resistance mechanism blocks the signal. Weight management strategies must address this resistance rather than assuming more hormone will fix the problem.
Obese individuals, however, often have increased leptin concentrations (10), and leptin administration shows only very limited effects (11). Recent data have indicated that this is likely the result of desensitization for the leptin signal, a phenomenon now often referred to as leptin resistance.
Why this rating
The paper is a comprehensive review citing multiple studies on human obesity, leptin concentrations, and treatment outcomes, though it acknowledges the complexity and heterogeneity of the response.
Source
Endocrine Regulation of Energy Metabolism: Review of Pathobiochemical and Clinical Chemical Aspects of Leptin, Ghrelin, Adiponectin, and Resistin
Ursula Meier et al. · Clinical Chemistry · 2004
DOI 10.1373/clinchem.2004.032482
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- Adiponectin levels are negatively correlated with obesity and insulin resistance, and low levels are associated with an increased risk of type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease.Good
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