BACKGROUND: Obesity is a complex disorder with excessive accumulation of adipose tissue; the tissue that exudes leptin, a hormone which plays an important role in the regulation of cellular metabolism and energy balance. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in plasma leptin levels in response to aerobic training, and using Orlistat in men. METHODS: Forty-eight obese males with a mean age of 21.56 +/- 2.14 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 33.90 +/- 3.21 kg/m2 participated in this study. The subjects were divided into four equal groups (n = 12) of Orlistat, exercise, and Orlistat-plus-exercise-induced weight loss, and control. Subjects of orlistat and orlistat plus exercise groups received 120 mg orlistat capsules three times daily after each meal for eight weeks. Aerobic training program consisted of running for 55 to 60% of target heart rate for 25 minutes on a treadmill in first week, and then, 75 percent of target heart rate for 45 minutes for the seven week. The levels of plasma leptin were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method before and after intervention. FINDINGS: All three experimental groups showed significant decreases in plasma levels of leptin compared to control group and before intervention (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results show that aerobic exercise can reduce plasma leptin levels in obese people. The results show that regular aerobic exercise without the use of chemical drugs lead to weight loss with desirable changes in serum leptin levels.

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