Effect of Naloxone on Food Consumption in Obesity

To the Editor: Stimulatory effects of the endogenous opioid system on eating behavior have been postulated for both lower animals1,2 and human beings.3 Naloxone, an opiate antagonist, has been shown to block eating behavior induced in animals by stress4 or by benzodiazepines.5 We and others have previously reported that naloxone reduces eating in human beings of normal weight6,7 and may also decrease eating in obese volunteers if it is administered immediately before and during the meal.8 We now report that naloxone, administered in a double-blind manner in a dose of 0.5 mg per kilogram of body weight, reduces daylong…