Methods for controlling body weight and/or appetite in a subject are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods involve administering to an overweight or obese subject an effective amount of a first agent comprising MIC-1, a MIC-1 agonist and/or a MIC-1-inducing agent, and a second agent comprising leptin and/or a leptin agonist, for the purpose of achieving weight loss. In other embodiments, the methods involve administering to an anorexic or cachectic subject an effective amount of a MIC-1-inhibiting agent and a leptin-inhibiting agent, for the purpose of increasing body weight and/or appetite in a subject.
