Research
Hormonal
Decreases in circulating leptin during energy restriction contribute to increased hunger and a strong propensity for weight regain.
When you diet, your leptin levels drop, which biologically increases your hunger. This is a normal survival mechanism, not a lack of willpower. Understanding this can help you prepare for increased hunger and plan strategies to manage it, knowing that your body is actively trying to regain weight.
StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
The decreased circulating leptin observed during energy restriction is related to increased sensations of hunger in human subjects. Thus, decreases in leptin during energy-restricted weight-loss regimens may contribute to the strong propensity for weight regain.
Why this rating
Strong evidence from human studies linking leptin drops to hunger sensations.
Source
Role of adipose tissue in body-weight regulation: mechanisms regulating leptin production and energy balance
Peter J. Havel · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · 2000
DOI 10.1017/s0029665100000410
narrative_reviewCited 326×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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