Indeed, STAT3 activity was considerably increased in the hypothalamus of diet-induced obesity mice, accompanied by lower pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) expression and abnormal metabolic physiological behaviors, implying that increased STAT3 activity negatively affected leptin-mediated POMC expression in diet-induced obesity mice [34]. The gene discussed is LEP; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.