Appetite control

4 September 2003

Researchers from Imperial College London and Hammersmith Hospital, including Wellcome Clinical Research Fellow Rachel Batterham (now at University College London), have discovered that obese people have low levels of the hunger-regulating gut hormone PYY3-36. In addition, single injections of PYY3-36 significantly reduced perceived appetite and calorie consumption in overweight volunteers. The results could have significant implications for the treatment of obesity.

PYY3-36 is a naturally occurring hormone released from the gut in response to eating, signalling to the brain that a meal has been eaten. Deficiency of PYY3-36 in obese subjects could lead to their eating more food before feeling 'full', contributing to their obesity.

Obesity is a global epidemic of increasing concern. Seventeen per cent of children in the UK are obese, and in the USA obesity accounts for 280 000 deaths a year. It is on course to pass smoking as the main cause of preventable death.

Since it works by affecting appetite, PYY3-36 will not be a wonder weight-loss drug for those with unhealthy lifestyles. Nevertheless, it holds promise for those at risk of obesity-associated disorders, such as type 2 diabetes. There are also hints that some diets may promote the production of PYY3-36, offering the prospect of dietary-based approaches to PYY3-36-mediated weight loss.

The research was supported in part by the Wellcome Trust and by the Medical Research Council. Results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 4 September 2003 (Vol. 349: 941-48).

External links

• Inhibition of Food Intake in Obese Subjects by Peptide YY3-36, New England Journal of Medicine 349: 941-8 (4 September 2003)
• University College London (Affiliation of Dr Rachel Batterham)