To further test this idea, Velloso’s team blocked a major inflammatory pathway in the brains of obese rats.117 They reasoned that if inflammation in the hypothalamus is really causing obesity, then blocking this inflammation should reduce food intake and body weight. And that’s exactly what they observed. Since Velloso’s discovery, other researchers have followed up on the finding, confirming that inflammation in the hypothalamus blocks leptin signaling, leading to leptin resistance and weight gain.118
this is an important section.
