NPY and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: In obese individuals, hypermethylation of POMC has been observed whereas NPY tends to be hypomethylated [17]. Since DNA methylation is most associated with gene silencing, it stands to reason that a cause-and-effect relationship potentially exists between obesity and excessive silencing of the satiety gene and/or insufficient silencing of the hunger gene. These findings further support the existence of a relationship between the obesity phenotype and the methylation status of genes that control the body’s desire for food and, therefore, food intake.