Research paper
Myers MG Jr, Leibel RL, Seeley RJ, Schwartz MW. Obesity and leptin resistance: distinguishing cause from effect. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2010;21(11):643-651.
Why we cite it
A review by four leptin researchers that draws the distinction between leptin resistance as a cause versus a consequence of obesity. **The distinction is the paper's argument, and this record should carry it as one** — a review synthesises and reasons; it does not establish. The key argument — that cellular leptin resistance is primarily a consequence of diet-induced obesity rather than its initial cause, creating a self-reinforcing vicious cycle — is foundational for the project's explanation of why weight regain is so persistent. The paper maps four specific molecular mechanisms (SOCS3, PTP1B, ER stress, inflammation) through which obesity attenuates leptin signaling, making the abstract concept of "leptin resistance" concrete and mechanistic.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2010.08.002 · PubMed 20846876 · Publisher