Scientists have revealed how mice control their appetite when under stress such as cold temperatures and starvation, according to a new study by Monash University and St Vincent’s Institute in Melbourne. The results shed light on the metabolic processes behind why people tend to regain much of their weight after dieting and could lead to treatments to help them keep the weight off for good.
“Most weight-loss strategies focus on creating a negative energy balance, where you burn more calories that you consume, but these strategies frequently fail because of compensatory increases in appetite,” explains first author Dr Sandra Galic from St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (SVI), Australia.
“The underlying mechanisms that link energy demand to increased appetite are not fully understood and so we set out to learn more about them.”
