Obesity is among the most common and costly chronic disorders worldwide. Estimates
suggest that in the United States obesity affects one-third of adults, accounts for up to one …

Leptin is a master regulator of energy balance and body adiposity. Additionally, leptin exerts
important control on glucose homeostasis, thermogenesis, autonomic nervous system and …

The regulation of energy balance requires the complex integration of homeostatic and
hedonic pathways, but sensory inputs from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are increasingly …

A wide range of maternal exposures—undernutrition, obesity, diabetes, stress and infection—
are associated with an increased risk of metabolic disease in offspring. Developmental …

Abstract Background/Purpose Litter size is a biological variable that strongly influences adult
physiology in rodents. Despite evidence from previous decades and recent studies …

LEP is a pleiotropic gene and the actions of leptin extend well beyond simply acting as the
signal of the size of adipose tissue stores originally proposed. This is a discussion of the …

Food insecurity is a major public health issue. Millions of households worldwide have
intermittent and unpredictable access to food and this experience is associated with greater …

The hypothalamus is a key centre for regulation of vital physiological functions, such as
appetite, stress responsiveness and reproduction. Development of the different …

Puberty generally occurs when an individual has stored a sufficient amount of energy.
Previous reports have shown that postnatal overfeeding, induced by a small litter size or …

The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin is a potent neurotrophic factor that contributes to the
neural plasticity and development of feeding circuitry, particularly in the arcuate nucleus of …