Obesity Immunizations?

Keeping weight off once you've lost it is a challenge for many. Now, scientists at Scripps Research Institute have successfully tested an anti-obesity vaccine that helps stop the weight loss yo-yo effect in animals.

The vaccine targets ghrelin, an endocrine hormone produced in the stomach. Ghrelin production goes up when body weight goes down, and high levels of ghrelin slow down fat metabolism, encourage eating, and promote fat retention, changes which normally make it difficult to lose weight and keep it off. In the Scripps study, the adult rats given the vaccine ate normally yet gained less weight and body fat.

RELATED: Weight Management and Diabetes

Comments