The present disclosure describes to a method of treating a metabolic disease in a subject, wherein the method comprises administration of dermatopontin to a subject, wherein the dermatopontin is recombinant dermatopontin and the metabolic disease is selected from a group consisting of weight gain, diet-induced weight gain, obesity, morbid obesity, metabolic syndrome, glucose homeostasis, insulin resistance, type I diabetes, type if diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Disclosed herein is also a method of determining or making a prognosis of a subject's susceptibility to metabolic diseases and obesity, the method comprising measuring the level of circulating dermatopontin in a sample obtained from a subject; and comparing the level of circulating dermatopontin obtained with the level of dermatopontin previously determined in a control; and determining the susceptibility of the subject to metabolic disease and obesity based on the difference between the level of circulating dermatopontin and the level of dermatopontin in the control.