Measuring Two Appetite Hormones Before Dieting Predicts Whether Weight Will Be Regained

Scientists in Spain have determined that measuring the levels of two hormones before a dieting program is begun can accurately predict whether dieters will regain lost weight. The two hormones – leptin and ghrelin – help regulate the appetite. The researchers found the pre-diet leptin/ghrelin ratio to be two times higher among study participants who later regained weight than among those who did not. They also identified cut-off points that predicted more than 60 percent of patients who would later regain 10 percent or more of the weight they initially lost. Calculating the leptin/ghrelin ratio might help in personalizing weight-loss programs for more effective control of obesity, the researchers said.