title: Models use leptin and calculus to count calories.
abstract: Thermostats have "set-points" that engineers design with mathematical rigor. Work in this issue of Cell Metabolism (Tam et al., 2009) applies similar modeling strategies to explore the control of murine energy and body weight homeostasis by leptin.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Modeling, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-5621, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Steven B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Heymsfield
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin