Research
Hormonal
Obesity may be characterized by a 'NEAT Conservers' phenotype, where the brain's response to signals that stimulate movement (like orexin) is dulled, leading to low NEAT and weight gain.
Understand that your brain may have a 'dulled' response to movement signals, making it harder to stay active. This is not a moral failing. Use environmental strategies (like walking desks) and behavioral techniques (like STRIPE) to overcome this biological resistance.
LimitedQualifiesLOW confidence
Conversely, obesity may be a state of central NEAT resistance, whereby signals ripple through the nervous system to stimulate NEAT, but in obesity the response to these signals is dulled; these animals are NEAT CONSERVERS whereby they dissipate minimal energy through NEAT and become obese.
Why this rating
Based largely on animal studies (rats, mice) and limited human data on orexin levels.
Source
Nonexercise activity thermogenesis – liberating the life‐force
James A. Levine · Journal of Internal Medicine · 2007
DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2007.01842.x
narrative_reviewCited 202×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) varies by up to 2000 kcal/day between individuals of similar size and is the primary driver of inter-individual differences in daily energy expenditure and body weight regulation.Moderate
- Obesity is associated with a 'NEAT defect' where obese individuals sit significantly more and walk significantly less than lean individuals, independent of body weight.Moderate
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