 Ghrelin is a hormone that is known to stimulate appetite in humans. When calorie dense fatty foods are sensed in the stomach, ghrelin is acylated and activated via ghrelin O-acyltransferase GOAT. The activation step attaches a medium chain fatty acid to the ghrelin molecule that enables it to transmit a signal in the brain that triggers eating and fat storage in adipose tissue. Interfering with the GOAT pathway will inhibit ghrelin activation and possibly diminish food intake and lipid storage. This concept is supported by animal studies in which weight gain in a high fat diet model is prevented when GOAT is inhibited. 