The news that leptin made fat mice thin in a matter of weeks had a massive popular appeal.瘦蛋白讓胖老鼠在幾周內瘦下來的新聞在廣大人群中引起了轟動

a matter of: 大約

The revolt was suppressed in a matter of hours.

叛亂在幾小時之內就鎮壓下去了。

It's a matter of a few more miles, that's all.

最多再有幾英里，也不過如此。

The hypothalamus acts like a thermostat.下丘腦像自動恒溫器一樣工作

act like:舉止像 ...

She was stupid in the extreme to act like that.

她那樣做真是愚蠢極了。

I don't want to act like my friend.

我不想像我朋友那樣干。

either by gaining weight or losing weight, is actively resisted.無論是體重增加或是體重減少，都可以得到有效地抑制

gain weight:增加體重

People tend to gain weight on holidays.

人們常常在假期長胖。

lose weight:減肥

His abstemious habit helps him to lose weight.

他那有節制的飲食習慣有助于他減肥。