Clinical Medicine Reviews in Therapeutics

The World Health Organization has described obesity as one of the today's most neglected public health problems worldwide. The main factor contributing to excessive weight gain is the impaired balance between energy intake and expenditure. This review aims to highlight the role of appetite regulatory hormones in obesity and to discuss a few evidence-based researches dealing with interventions targeting these hormones. Appetite regulatory hormones such as leptin and ghrelin are known to affect the development of obesity by influencing food intake, fat metabolism, and gastrointestinal function. Interventional studies conducted across the globe targeting these appetite regulatory hormones have proven to be impactful in altering the serum concentrations of these hormones and thus improve appetite regulation, thereby regulating energy homeostasis leading to desirable weight loss. Within this framework, it is expected that exploiting the body's own appetite regulatory signals through a conceptual strategy involving lifestyle, behavioral, public health, and medical interventions would appear to be a promising platform in prevention, management, and treatment of obesity.