The global obesity epidemic, affecting over one billion people worldwide, is largely driven by eating behaviors. Appetite, influenced by both intrinsic and environmental factors, plays a crucial role in weight management. A recent study how exercise affects appetite perception in obese males, shedding light on the physiological mechanisms behind hunger suppression post-exercise.

While exercise is well-known for its benefits in weight management, its direct impact on appetite control has remained a subject of debate. Appetite is regulated by a complex network of gastrointestinal and neurohormonal signals, including hormones like ghrelin, leptin, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and neuropeptide Y (NPY). These hormones influence hunger levels, satiety, and energy balance.

The study published in Physiological Reports examines investigated how moderate continuous aerobic exercise (MICE) alters these hormone levels in obese men, ultimately affecting their hunger perception. The findings reveal that certain myokines and cytokines shift dynamically post-exercise, potentially reducing appetite and offering a promising strategy for weight management.

Hormonal Responses to Exercise

The study found that after exercise, there was a significant increase in IL-6 and irisin levels in the exercise group compared to those who remained sedentary. These elevated concentrations persisted for an hour after working out. IL-6 has been associated with regulating metabolism and enhancing fat oxidation, while irisin plays a role in converting white fat into more metabolically active brown fat.

Conversely, the study reported a decrease in neuropeptide Y (NPY) levels, a key neurotransmitter responsible for stimulating appetite. The decline in NPY levels post-exercise suggests a temporary suppression of hunger, supporting the idea that exercise can curb cravings. However, the study did not observe significant changes in IL-7 or leptin levels, two other hormones involved in appetite regulation.

Why Some People Struggle to Lose Weight

Ghrelin, often called the “hunger hormone,” stimulates appetite by increasing activity in specific areas of the brain. Individuals with higher ghrelin levels generally find it harder to lose weight because their bodies signal hunger more frequently.

Research suggests that dieting can lead to an increase in ghrelin levels, making weight loss challenging. Certain medical conditions, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Prader-Willi syndrome, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa, are also linked to elevated ghrelin levels, complicating appetite regulation further.

Challenges in Implementing Exercise for Appetite Control

While exercise has clear benefits, the findings should be interpreted with caution. He pointed out that the study had a small sample size, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.

Moreover, he highlighted the challenges faced by obese individuals in maintaining an intensive exercise routine. While exercise-induced appetite suppression is promising, consistently engaging in high-intensity workouts may be unrealistic for those who struggle with mobility or fitness levels. More extensive studies are needed to determine the optimal exercise duration and intensity for effective appetite suppression.

Tips to Naturally And Safely Suppressing Appetite

Besides exercise, there are several strategies individuals can use to naturally suppress their appetite and improve satiety:

Increase Protein Intake: Protein-rich foods, such as lean meats, legumes, and dairy, promote feelings of fullness and reduce hunger.

Stay Hydrated: Drinking water before meals can help control portion sizes and prevent overeating.

Opt for Fiber-Rich Foods: Whole grains, vegetables, and fruits high in fiber take longer to digest, keeping you full for longer.

Reduce Simple Carbohydrates and Sugars: Simple carbs and sugars cause rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, leading to increased hunger.

Prioritize Sleep: Poor sleep disrupts hunger-regulating hormones, making it harder to control cravings.

Manage Stress: Chronic stress increases cortisol levels, which can lead to overeating and weight gain.

The study’s findings indicate that moderate exercise can temporarily suppress appetite by altering key hormones. While more research is needed to refine the details—such as optimal workout duration and intensity—this insight adds to the growing body of evidence supporting exercise as a tool for appetite regulation and weight management.

For individuals looking to curb cravings and maintain a healthy weight, incorporating a well-balanced diet alongside regular exercise remains the most sustainable approach. Future studies focusing on larger populations and long-term effects could provide deeper insights into how exercise can be optimized for appetite control, making it an effective strategy in combating obesity.

Exercise alone is not a magic solution for weight loss, but its impact on appetite hormones presents a promising avenue for managing hunger and energy balance. As research continues to evolve, it becomes increasingly clear that integrating physical activity with mindful eating habits can play a vital role in achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are widely used for counting daily steps and tracking workouts by millions. But the World Health Organization (WHO) is now seeking to task these wearables with bigger responsibilities. The global health body has issued proposals for wearable devices that could help countries measure physical activity and sedentary behaviour across populations.

In a notice published on November 8, WHO invited researchers, health authorities, technology developers and other stakeholders to review a draft Target Product Profile (TPP) for wearable devices worn on wrists. The aim is to ascertain what these devices should be capable of measuring before they are incorporated into national and subnational public health monitoring systems.

The proposal will remain open until December 6, 2026. WHO will use the feedback to revise and finalise the document and inform future implementation guidance.

WHO Want To Use Smartwatches For Public Health Monitoring

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Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Sedentary behaviour, which involves spending prolonged periods sitting is also the cause of various adverse health outcomes.

Countries currently rely heavily on surveys to understand how physically active people are. However, these often depend on people reporting their own activity, which can lead to inaccurate data.

Wearable devices could provide a more objective way to collect information over a certain period of time. Instead of relying entirely on questionnaires, health authorities could use data from these devices to understand how much people move, how long they remain sedentary and how activity patterns vary across different population groups.

WHO says wearable technology could complement existing surveillance methods as countries work towards improving global physical activity targets.

WHO's Proposed Standards

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The draft TPP outlines minimum specifications for smartwatches intended for population-level monitoring. It considers what makes a device suitable for collecting data across different populations.

The proposed framework covers:

• Measurement capabilities: What physical activity and sedentary behaviour indicators a device should be able to capture.
• Technical specifications: The minimum and additional features required for devices to be suitable for public health surveillance.
• Data access: How information can be retrieved, processed and used by health monitoring systems.
• Implementation: Practical considerations involved in deploying devices across communities and integrating them into existing surveillance programmes.
• Scalability and sustainability: Whether the technology can be used consistently across countries with different resources and technical capacities.

WHO is interested in feedback on whether the specifications proposed are practical and relevant to countries with limited resources.

Why Can't Countries Use Existing Smartwatches?

Although such wearables are widely available, their measurements are not interchangeable. Different manufacturers use different sensors, algorithms and methods to calculate steps, activity levels and sedentary time. As a result, two devices worn by the same person may produce different estimates.

A systematic review published in npj Digital Medicine in January 2026 examined 82 studies evaluating Apple Watch measurements across 14 health metrics. It found that measurement accuracy varied depending on the metric and testing conditions. While heart-rate measurements showed good overall agreement, step counts had moderate accuracy and energy expenditure data was inconsistent too.

This illustrates the need for standardisation. If countries use different devices and measurement methods, comparing physical activity data across populations becomes needlessly challenging.

WHO's proposed framework is intended to address these differences by identifying the device characteristics and protocols needed for consistent data collection.

Cost, access, privacy and digital literacy remain important challenges when it comes to implementing WHO's proposal. People without smartphones, reliable internet access or the ability to buy wearable devices could be underrepresented.

There are also questions about how personal movement data would be stored, shared and protected. Governments would need clear safeguards to ensure that participation is voluntary, data is handled responsibly and findings represent the wider population.

Mazdutide, an experimental weight-loss drug, could soon join the ever-expanding market of GLP-1 medications. The results from a recent clinical trial funded by Eli Lilly has found that mazdutide has shown an average reduction of 18.1% in body weight over 32 weeks. The trial was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

The findings have drawn attention because the experimental drug produced significant weight loss in less than eight months, establishing its position among existing medicines like Wegovy.

However, the findings come from a phase 2 trial involving 179 participants. Its comparison with existing players like Wegovy are yet to be done formally.

What Did The Mazdutide Study Find?

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Published in November 2026, the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated mazdutide in 179 overweight or obese adults with overweight but without type 2 diabetes.

Participants, who were recruited from 24 centres in the United States, received the once-weekly injections of different doses of the drug or a placebo. At 32 weeks, the average weight changes were:

• Mazdutide 16 mg: 18.1% reduction in body weight
• Mazdutide 10 mg: 15.6% reduction
• Mazdutide 3–6 mg: 7.3% reduction
• Placebo: 0.9% reduction

The study also reported further weight reductions by week 48, suggesting that weight loss had not reached its maximum by the primary assessment.

However, tolerability of the drug drew attention too. Gastrointestinal problems, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, were among the most common side effects.

Around 20% of participants receiving the highest 16 mg dose quit the treatment because of adverse events, primarily gastrointestinal disorders.

How Does Mazdutide Work?

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Mazdutide works differently from semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. It activates two hormone receptors involved in regulating appetite and metabolism: glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon.

GLP-1 helps regulate blood sugar, which slows down emptying of the stomach and increases feelings of fullness, which can reduce food intake.

Glucagon is another hormone involved in regulating blood glucose and energy metabolism. By activating glucagon receptors along with GLP-1 receptors, mazdutide can affect energy expenditure and metabolism in addition to regulating appetite.

This dual action distinguishes it from semaglutide, which primarily targets the GLP-1 receptor.

Mazdutide Vs Wegovy

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Ozempic and Wegovy contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide, but have different approved uses and dosing.

Ozempic is primarily prescribed for type 2 diabetes and certain cardiovascular and kidney conditions, while Wegovy is approved for weight management.Here is how the trial results compare:

Mazdutide 16 mg showed 18.1% weight reduction in 32 weeks. Wegovy 2.4 mg showed 14.9% in 68 weeks.

In the STEP 1 trial, published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2021, participants with overweight or obesity who received semaglutide 2.4 mg lost an average of 14.9% of their body weight over 68 weeks. Participants did not have diabetes.

Although mazdutide's 18.1% result seems higher than the 14.9% reported with Wegovy, the comparison has limitations. The trials differed in duration, participant characteristics, doses and study design. A direct head-to-head trial would be needed to establish which treatment produces greater weight loss.

Is Mazdutide A Promising Weight-Loss Drug?

Mazdutide has also been studied in China. In the phase 3 GLORY-2 trial, participants receiving 9 mg lost an average of 16.65% of their body weight over 60 weeks, compared to 1.50% in the placebo group.

Its recent findings are promising but it is too early to call mazdutide more effective than existing treatments. The US study was a relatively small phase 2 trial, and its highest dose led to a high rate of discontinuation due to adverse events. Larger phase 3 trials are important to establish its long-term effectiveness, safety and tolerability.

"Losing weight isn't about obsessing over diets or rushing to shed pounds."

It is about understanding the reasons behind why a person weighs as much as they do and adopting healthy habits to create long-term success. From an endocrinologist's viewpoint, managing weight involves a thorough approach. Factors such as hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, thyroid conditions, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), some medications, genetics, and lifestyle choices can all affect body weight. As a result, a single diet or exercise routine may not be equally effective for everyone.

Why Weight Management Needs A Personalised Approach

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Eating a balanced diet high in nutrients is a key principle to weight control. It's advised not to cut out all food groups or eat extreme low amounts of calories, but ensure that your diet includes moderate portions, lots of protein, fibre-dense, foods, veggies, fruits, and good fats. Participating in a regular exercise programme with cardio exercises and resistance training can boost your metabolic health.

Sleep and behaviour are equally vital. Poor sleep can impact hunger hormones and it can cause cravings, then add stress and emotional eating maintenance can be tricky. Keeping to a sleep routine, managing stress and setting realistic targets will aid in developing a lasting habit.

When Are Weight-Loss Medicines Or Surgery Considered?

Assessment of diet there are certain circumstances, when medical assessment would be the next step, such as significant unexplained weight gain, the failure to lose weight despite an effort, and if there is a presence of other manifestations/diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, hormonal problems etc. A personalised evaluation is a review of medical history, medication, and relevant investigations and metabolic risk factors.

Your healthcare professional may recommend prescription weight-management medication to use beyond nutrition and lifestyle management, where your weight management plan is based on your BMI, related health conditions and clinical management. Your healthcare professional will need to monitor treatment with medication. You may also be considered for bariatric surgery where clinically indicated.

It's not about hitting the scales at a lesser weight; the aim should be to achieve good metabolic health, physical fitness and quality of life. The fact is that weight loss is a slow journey, and even small, sustainable weight loss can bring significant health gains. A custom program, ongoing assessment and adequate support will beat fad diets every time."

By Dr Hetashvi Gondaliya, Diabetes & Endocrinology, CK BIRLA HOSPITALS Jaipur