Appetite Regulating Hormone is Weaker in Obese People

Obese people are not to blame for their weight, says a new study, after researchers found the appetite-regulating hormone glucagon, is not as prevalent in obese individuals, leading them to have lower sensations of satiety.

A hormone that involves regulation of appetite, loses its ability to help obese people feel full after a meal, but continues to suppress hunger in people suffering from type 1 diabetes, according to a study.

Satiety scores increased significantly within 30 minutes in lean participants, from 2.6 at baseline to 3.4 out of 7, and in patients with type 1 diabetes, from 2.2 to 3.2, according to Ayman M. Arafat, MD, of Charité - Universitätsmedizin in Berlin, and colleagues.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, investigated glucagon levels and appetite among 11 obese people, 13 of whom had type 1 diabetes and 13 lean people who received injections of either glucagon or a placebo.

"Once a person becomes obese, glucagon no longer induces feelings of fullness," lead author Dr. Ayman M. Arafat of Charité-University Medicine in Berlin, Germany, said in a news release. "Further research is needed to determine why glucagon no longer suppresses appetite effectively in this population, even though they are otherwise healthy."

Researchers hope that this research will be used to refine potential treatments for obesity in the future.  

"The findings could influence efforts to develop new treatments for obesity and diabetes," Arafat said. "Although therapeutic agents that influence glucagon and other hormones currently are considered a promising avenue for research, this study suggests a treatment involving glucagon may be ineffective in controlling meal size in people who are obese."