At the weekly meetings, patients meet with a team that includes primary care physicians, social workers and psychiatrists. At group sessions, patients share their experiences. Their weight, blood pressure, and blood chemistry are monitored. In a supplemental study, Kirschner is also monitoring serum leptin levels in patients. Leptin, often called the obesity hormone because it is produced by fat cells, is found in higher concentrations in obese patients.
Preliminary findings indicate a drop in serum leptin levels as patients lose weight.
The role of leptin in controlling eating and hunger is being closely studied. Patients do not necessarily have to reach their ideal weight to make significant improvements in their health, says Kirschner. Losing just 10 percent of the starting weight reduces blood pressure, cholesterol and sleep apnea, a potentially serious problem in the obese. It's a realistic, attainable goal, even for someone who weighs 300 pounds. While the dropout rate is a relatively high 25 percent, the patients who remain in the program are enthusiastic about its results.