Our results validate the diet employed to induce obesity, confirming that rats chronically exposed to a HFD present elevated body fat with hypertrophy of SC and EP adipocytes, leptin resistance, abnormal glucose homeostasis and a proinflammatory state characterized by increased serum TNF-α and reduced serum adiponectin levels. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.