What is Leptin Resistance?
Leptin is a hormone produced by fatty tissue that signals the brain when the body has stored enough energy. In overweight people, this signal often no longer works properly — this is called leptin resistance.
How Does Leptin Resistance Develop?
Paradoxically, overweight people often have very high leptin levels in their blood — but their brain no longer responds to it. This causes constant hunger to be felt despite adequate energy reserves.
Symptoms of Leptin Resistance
- Persistent hunger despite adequate food intake
- Cravings, especially for carbohydrates and sugar
- Difficulty losing weight despite dieting
- Chronic fatigue
- Slowed metabolism
Causes
- Chronically elevated insulin levels
- Inflammatory processes in the body
- Sleep deprivation
- Processed foods and sugar
Treatment
- Regular physical activity
- Sleep optimization (7-8 hours)
- Anti-inflammatory diet
- In case of severe obesity: bariatric surgery
Bariatric surgery such as sleeve gastrectomy leads to normalization of leptin metabolism and helps break the vicious cycle.
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