Drugs, exercise, and the melanocortin-4 receptor-different means, same ends: Treating obesity

Abstract

As the percentage of obese humans expands, new options for weight loss are being explored. Body weight homeostasis is the result of a balance between energy intake (food) and expenditure (activity). A shift in homeostasis into a negative balance results in weight loss. Two potential options available for the management of body weight, as related to the melanocortin system, are exercise (increase energy expenditure) and drugs targeting the melanocortin- 4 receptors for satiety. © 2010 Landes Bioscience and Springer Science+Business Media.