Voluntary exercise may improve eating habits, movement, and hunger hormone levels while reducing weight in rats made obese by a high-fat diet

Marked increases in body weight and visceral fat were observed in the high fat diet sedentary group.

• Voluntary exercise in high fat diet rats led to significant weight and fat reduction.
• Disrupted rhythms of feeding and locomotor activity were observed in sedentary high fat diet rats.
• Infrequent voluntary exercise restored abnormal rhythms of activity and eating in obese rats.
• Ghrelin production was negatively affected in high fat diet rats but improved with voluntary exercise.
• The findings suggest a link between ghrelin and the circadian rhythm of daily activity and eating behavior.

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