Many people may experience frustration with gaining weight again after a diet. However, a recent study proves that by measuring your appetite hormone levels before you go on a diet, you will be able to predict whether the unwanted kilos will come back after you finish your diet.
Treatment of obesity with medication or diet can be very effective in the short term, but the long-term success in sustaining weight loss is usually poor. Our study sheds light on how the appetite hormones leptin and ghrelin affect weight gain after weight loss. This knowledge can be used as a tool to personify a weight loss program that could guarantee success in maintaining weight, said Ana Cujeiras, research author at Compejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Spain.
In this study, researchers analyzed a group of 104 overweight men and women. Study participants were followed up on an 8-week low calorie diet and then retested after 32 weeks. The researchers measured body weight as well as ghrelin, leptin and insulin levels before, during and after the diet. They found that people with higher leptin levels and lower pre-diet ghrelin levels were more likely to regain the pounds they lost. Such hormone levels could be an indicator of the results of obesity treatment.
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. (PAP)