Hormones, Appetite, and Weight Loss

Posted: April 27, 2012

Hormones have been studied as suspects in weight loss difficulty as well as appetite in the past decade.  The most recent studies are examining four hormones in particular.

1)      Leptin

This hormone acts as an appetite suppressor.  It is generally found in lower levels in the bodies of thin people than in overweight.  It protects the body against weight loss during times of food deprivation.  As a body stores more fat, leptin decreases, appetite increases, and body energy use decreases.  Obese people can become resistant to the appetite suppressing effects of leptin.

2)      Ghrelin (and its side kick Obstetin)

Ghrelin is an appetite increaser.  It signals hunger to the brain.  It is thought to have helped early humans through starving periods by helping to build up fat storage during times of feast.  Obstetin and Ghrelan are encoded by the same gene, and they are both peptide hormones produced in the gut, or intestines.  Obstetin has been shown to slow the emptying of the stomachs of rats and to slow movement through the intestines.

3)      Peptide YY

Secreted by the endocrine cell lining of the small bowel and colon, this induces satiety.  It is released by meal anticipation and the presence of food.

4)      Glucagon-like Peptide I

Decreasing food intake, GLP-1 is produced in the GI tract.

There have been several studies released that have shown an interesting connection between these hormones and sustainable weight loss.  It is suggested that as one diets, the body hormone production changes to adjust to losing fat storage reserves.  This in turn creates a stronger need for the body to eat more and replenish said reserves.

One such study was done in Melbourne, Australia and suggests that dieters may be failing due more to hormone imbalance than to lack of will power.  It explains, potentially, why it is so difficult to lose weight and to keep it off.  This study included 50 overweight or obese individuals who were all put on a 10 week diet.  The first 8 weeks consisted of a 500-550 calorie per day diet of a meal replacement and vegetables.  After 8 weeks, the subjects introduced other foods into their diets.  The question was: “What would happen after losing 10% body weight?”  The average loss of 30 pounds in 10 weeks was slightly higher than anticipated.  All subjects were counseled on maintaining weight loss for a year, but there was still an average gain of 12 pounds within that year.  When nine hormone levels were tested, six still showed an imbalance, even after a year.

Another study has been conducted in order to measure the effectiveness of a potential pill based on the hormones Peptite YY and GPL-1.  The premise is that it will fool the brain into thinking that the body is full.  This study consisted of two groups.  One group fasted before eating/anticipating a buffet meal.  These participants took one or the other of the hormones or both before eating.  The other group did the same, but ate a standard meal before the anticipated buffet.  Results showed that both groups had lower, similar activity in the part of the brain that controls appetite.  The strongest effect was in the subjects who had taken both hormones.  This may lead to a day when a medication will be developed to aid in weight loss and obesity.

This research and further understanding of the hormones produced in our bodies may lead to a greater understanding and a greater success in lowering the obesity rate in the United States and the world.
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