The lipostat is the body’s fat-regulation system—a biological thermostat for body weight. When you lose weight, the lipostat increases hunger and decreases energy expenditure to push weight back up. Research by Fothergill on Biggest Loser contestants showed metabolic suppression persisting 6 years after weight loss. Rosenbaum and Leibel documented adaptive thermogenesis in humans.
This companion covers the biological thermostat, how the lipostat defends against weight loss, the asymmetry problem, whether the set point can change, implications, and working with the lipostat. (4 min read)