Scientists solve mystery behind contradictory behaviours of new weight-loss drugs

Scientists solve mystery behind contradictory behaviours of new weight-loss drugs Craig Brierley Fri, 07/24/2026 - 10:00 Published today in Nature Metabolism , the study in mice shows that the answer lies in where the switch is located: stimulating the switch in the brainstem suppresses appetite, while the same effect can be achieved by blocking the switch in the hypothalamus. More than a billion people worldwide are living with obesity, which increases the risk of diseases such as 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Weight loss can help mitigate these complications, but losing weig