The Physiological Regulation of Body Fat Mass

Disturbances in body weight and adiposity in both humans and animals are met by compensatory adjustments in energy intake and energy expenditure, strongly sug-gesting that body weight or fat is regulated. From a clinical viewpoint, this means that people with obesity who have lost weight through caloric restriction and are main-taining a body weight lower than their defended weight, are likely to have lower en-ergy expenditure, greater hunger and hedonic drive to eat, and increased propensity to store fat, than they did before they lost weight. Strategies that address these phys-iological changes are likely to improve the long-term success of obesity treatments.

Automated summary

Both humans and animals regulate body weight and fat through compensatory adjustments in energy intake and expenditure, implying the importance of addressing physiological changes in obesity treatments. People with obesity who have lost weight through caloric restriction and maintain a lower body weight are likely to experience lower energy expenditure, increased hunger and desire to eat, and a greater propensity to store fat. Strategies that address these physiological changes are expected to improve the long-term success of obesity treatments.