Research

Hormonal

Ghrelin is the only known orexigenic gut hormone, and its levels are inversely correlated with body mass index, with obese subjects showing a less marked drop in plasma ghrelin after meal ingestion.

Ghrelin is the 'hunger hormone,' and its levels are lower in obese individuals. However, obese people have a blunted response to meals, meaning their ghrelin doesn't drop as much as it should, potentially contributing to overeating.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Ghrelin... is the only known orexigenic gut hormone... Negative correlations between circulating ghrelin levels and body mass index are found in human. In contrast, obese subjects show a less marked drop in plasma ghrelin after meal ingestion
Keisuke Suzuki et al. · Experimental Diabetes Research · 2012

Why this rating

The paper cites multiple studies showing the inverse correlation and the blunted response in obesity.

Source

Obesity and Appetite Control

Keisuke Suzuki et al. · Experimental Diabetes Research · 2012

DOI 10.1155/2012/824305

narrative_reviewCited 226×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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