New Genetic Mutations Linked to Insatiable Hunger in Children Identified by Doctors

Two children who experienced intense, insatiable hunger that drove them to overeat have rare, never-before-seen genetic mutations that interfere with leptin, a key hormone that helps tell the body when it is full, a new case report says. Both children carried slightly different leptin-disrupting genetic mutations. Doctors provided metreleptin, a synthetic form of leptin, to treat the children. Both children also participated in fasting and exercise programs, to help reduce their white fat and therefore their leptin production. Eventually, both children attained near-normal weight.