Obesity may be hard-wired into the brain from birth, according to a new animal study that appears to bolster the notion that some people are more prone to pile on the pounds than others.

The study released showed that obese rats had faulty brain wiring that impaired their response to the hunger-suppressing hormone leptin.

In obesity-prone rats, it seems that appetite and obesity are built into the brain, this is said by Sebastien Bouret, an assistant professor of neuroscience.

The neurodevelopmental differences in these animals can be seen as early as the first week.

The results show that obesity can be wired into the brain from early life. The three-million-dollar question now is how to get around the problem.

Leptin plays a central role in fat metabolism. Produced by fat tissue, it acts as a signal to the brain about the body's energy status.