Blocking a certain stomach enzyme that makes you feel hunger can reduce weight gain in mice. This could lead to treatments for obesity in humans that would work by reducing hunger.
We spend over $1 billion a year on weight loss, with so many people who need it. A current focus is fake hormones that mimic gut hormones to control blood sugar levels. Some are already being used in diabetes.
But when you are messing around with hormones, you've got to be careful. They each do multiple things. The enzyme that affects hunger could also affect growth or memory. You don't want to forget who you are when you're just trying to get rid of a couple pounds.
Anyway, this is cool for two reasons. A)I really think this works and can help people better than a lot of other, nastier options, like becoming anorexic, and B) so many people are over weight. I'm going to go on a rant here, so stop reading if you don't care.
We are the fattest country in the world. I wonder why? Sure, there may be some people who have real diseases and problems that stop them from avoiding it, but really, we just eat too much. C'mon, who here has pigged out a lot lately? Raise your hands. I'm guilty too, but dang, you think we could be as bit better than the fattest in the world!
So this really caught my eye. We might now have to be obese with something like this. This could save and improve so many (300 million)lives in the US alone. That;s pretty stinking good right there. This is totally worth it.
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