How your body maintains a "set point" for fat mass.
What the evidence says
- Body has a "set point" for fat mass1
- Leptin signals current fat stores to brain1
- Hypothalamus compares current to set point1
- Deviations trigger corrective responses2,1
- System evolved to prevent starvation1
- Obesity heritability is 0.7-0.8 (70-80%), equivalent to height and greater than schizophrenia, breast cancer, or heart disease — underscoring the biological power of this system1