Is leptin resistance the cause or the consequence of diet-induced obesity?

Background/objectives: Obesity is strongly associated with leptin resistance. It is unclear whether leptin resistance results from the (over)consumption of energy-dense diets or if reduced leptin sensitivity is also a pre-existing factor in rodent models of diet-induced obesity (DIO). We here tested whether leptin sensitivity on a chow diet predicts subsequent weight gain and leptin sensitivity on a free choice high-fat high-sucrose (fcHFHS) diet.