Obesity that begins in childhood can be caused by a rare genetic condition called leptin deficiency, a hormone that regulates the feeling of hunger and satiety. With the lack of this hormone, even if the person eats a lot, this information does not reach the brain, and is still hungry and therefore always eats something, which ends up favoring overweight and obesity.
People with this deficiency are often overweight in childhood and can balance the balance for years until they discover the cause of the problem, these people need treatment that should be indicated by the pediatrician, when the disease is diagnosed until age 18, or by the adult endocrinologist.
- People who have this genetic alteration are born with a normal weight.
- But quickly become obese in the first years of life.
- Because since they never feel full.
- They continue to eat all the time.
- So some signs that may indicate this change are :.
Congenital leptin deficiency is a genetic disease, so children with a family history of obesity who have these symptoms should be taken to the pediatrician to investigate the problem and begin treatment.
Is it possible to diagnose this deficiency through the symptoms presented and by blood tests that identify low levels or a total absence of leptin in the body?
Treatment of congenital leptin deficiency is done with daily injections of this hormone, to replenish what the body does not produce, with this the patient has decreased their hunger and weight loss, and also returns to adequate levels of insulin and normal growth.
The amount of hormone to be taken should be guided by the doctor and the patient and his family should be trained to administer the injections, which should be administered just under the skin, as is the case with insulin injections for diabetics.
As there is still no specific treatment for this deficiency, the injection should be applied daily for life.
While this medicine is critical to controlling hunger and food intake, the person should learn to eat less, eat healthy foods, and exercise regularly to lose weight.
When untreated, low leptin levels can cause complications associated with being overweight, such as:
It is important to remember that the earlier treatment is started, the lower the risk of obesity complications and the more weight the patient will lose and lead a normal life.