Why some people burn fewer calories even when they eat less
Relationship between Ghrelin and Energy Expenditure in Healthy Young Women
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher ghrelin levels were associated with lower daily caloric intake.
Ghrelin is widely known as the 'hunger hormone' that increases appetite, so finding it linked to eating less contradicts common assumptions and prior animal studies.
Practical Takeaways
If you're struggling to lose weight despite eating less, consider that your body's energy expenditure might be suppressed—possibly linked to hormonal signals like ghrelin.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher ghrelin levels were associated with lower daily caloric intake.
Ghrelin is widely known as the 'hunger hormone' that increases appetite, so finding it linked to eating less contradicts common assumptions and prior animal studies.
Practical Takeaways
If you're struggling to lose weight despite eating less, consider that your body's energy expenditure might be suppressed—possibly linked to hormonal signals like ghrelin.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
Year
2004
Authors
David H. St-Pierre, Antony D. Karelis, Katherine Cianflone, Florence Conus, Diane Mignault, Remi Rabasa-Lhoret, Maxime St-Onge, Andréanne Tremblay-Lebeau, Eric T. Poehlman
Related Content
Claims (4)
A daily caloric surplus of 64 kcal from reduced postprandial energy expenditure due to ultraprocessed food consumption results in approximately 1 pound of fat gain per month.
Women with more of the hunger hormone ghrelin tend to burn fewer calories at rest and after eating, even when you account for their body size and insulin levels.
Women with more ghrelin — the hunger hormone — actually eat less each day, which seems surprising but was observed in this group.
The hunger hormone ghrelin doesn’t seem to affect how the body burns fat vs. carbs after eating, how active someone is, how fit they are, or their eating habits like restraint or hunger feelings.