Endocrine Weight Loss Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Endocrine Weight Loss facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A patient with obesity has elevated fasting insulin but normal fasting glucose. This pattern most likely indicates: → Compensated insulin resistance (prediabetes risk)
2. Leptin exerts its primary anti-obesity effect by acting on receptors in which brain region? → Arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus
3. Which genetic endocrine disorder causes severe early-onset obesity due to MC4R (melanocortin-4 receptor) mutations? → Monogenic MC4R-deficiency obesity
4. Sleep deprivation promotes weight gain primarily by affecting which two hormones? → Decreasing leptin and increasing ghrelin
5. Bariatric surgery promotes sustained weight loss partially through which hormonal mechanism? → Dramatically enhanced postprandial GLP-1 and PYY secretion
6. A patient with type 2 diabetes and obesity has elevated fasting insulin levels. This finding most directly indicates: → Insulin resistance requiring compensatory hypersecretion
7. Which neurotransmitter pathway is targeted by phentermine/topiramate ER to suppress appetite? → Sympathomimetic norepinephrine release and GABA enhancement
8. In which clinical scenario would measuring serum IGF-1 be most diagnostically relevant for evaluating weight and body composition changes? → Suspected acromegaly or growth hormone deficiency
9. In type 2 diabetes, which class of medication both lowers blood glucose AND promotes significant weight loss by mimicking an incretin hormone? → GLP-1 receptor agonists
10. A patient with hypothyroidism gains weight primarily because of: → Accumulation of myxedema fluid and reduced metabolic rate leading to fat deposition
11. A tumor of the pancreatic islet cells that secretes excess insulin, causing hypoglycemia and compensatory overeating with weight gain, is called a: → Insulinoma
12. Most typically, acromegaly is detected in: → Middle-aged adults
13. The dexamethasone suppression test is used to screen for which endocrine disorder? → Cushing's syndrome
14. Chronic high cortisol impairs weight management by antagonizing which anabolic hormone, contributing to muscle loss? → Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) / growth hormone axis
15. In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), elevated androgens contribute to weight gain primarily by promoting: → Visceral and abdominal fat accumulation
16. Growth hormone deficiency in adults most commonly leads to which body composition change? → Increased visceral fat and decreased lean mass
17. Which hormone secreted by the stomach rises before meals and falls after eating, driving hunger? → Ghrelin
18. Which condition is associated with acanthosis nigricans (dark velvety skin in body folds) and strongly signals underlying insulin resistance? → Insulin resistance / hyperinsulinemia
19. Which 24-hour urinary test is used to confirm autonomous cortisol overproduction in suspected Cushing's syndrome? → 24-hour urine free cortisol (UFC)
20. Prader-Willi syndrome causes obesity through which primary endocrine/neurological mechanism? → Hypothalamic dysfunction causing insatiable hunger (hyperphagia) and GH deficiency
21. Which dietary intervention has the strongest evidence for reducing hepatic fat and improving insulin sensitivity in metabolic syndrome? → Mediterranean diet or low-carbohydrate diet
22. Vasopressin and oxytocin are released by ___________ part of pituitary → Posterior
23. A patient on long-term glucocorticoid therapy develops a 'buffalo hump' and central obesity. This is an example of: → Exogenous Cushing's syndrome from chronic cortisol excess
24. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) contributes to weight regulation by: → Generating heat through uncoupled mitochondrial respiration (thermogenesis)
25. Which pattern of fat distribution is most cardiometabolically dangerous and associated with chronic cortisol excess? → Android (apple-shaped) visceral fat distribution
26. Sex hormone changes after menopause contribute to weight gain primarily by: → Causing insulin resistance and shifting fat distribution to the abdomen
27. Which symptom cluster distinguishes hyperthyroidism-related weight loss from that caused by malignancy or depression? → Weight loss with increased appetite, heat intolerance, palpitations, and tremor
28. Which hormone produced by adipose tissue signals the hypothalamus to suppress appetite and increase energy expenditure? → Leptin
29. Which pituitary tumor can cause weight gain by disrupting hypothalamic satiety centers due to its anatomical location? → Craniopharyngioma
30. SGLT-2 inhibitors promote weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes primarily through which mechanism? → Inducing urinary glucose excretion and thereby creating a caloric deficit