An article that presents some of the complexities of fat metabolism, hunger and 'anti-obesity drugs.' For example, there are several paracrine/endocrine chemicals that affect appetite and metabolism, such as leptin and ghrelin; melanocortin 4 receptors also play a role, but - like so many molecules and chemicals in the body - they do not affect hunger alone:
"Mice and rats given the drugs, which act on the brain, dramatically reduced their food intake while seeming to suffer no ill effects. Several drug companies were so encouraged that they had begun testing the compounds, called melanocortin 4 receptor agonists, in people. But then, researchers conducting those trials began to report an unexpected side effect: Men given the medicines experienced prolonged, unwanted and sometimes uncomfortable erections." http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/823684.asp "Because humans during most of history have suffered from periods of starvation or food shortages, genes that help the body store and use calories efficiently have been evolutionarily favored. For that reason, much of the world�s population is genetically prone to becoming overweight, especially in a modern environment that offers abundant, high-calorie foods and facilitates an inactive lifestyle." Of Course I Had Chocolate Today! Maru __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus � Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
