Get a shot to lose weight

Filed in archive Diet and Nutrition , News on August 8, 2006

As my fellow Creative Weblogger Ruth published on her Biotech Weblog, the genius scientist from the Scripps institute, have discovered a shot that has a potential of slowing the weight gain and reducing fat.

"In the new study, mature male rats immunized with specific types of the active vaccine ate normally yet gained less weight and had less body fat, indicating that the vaccine directly affects the body's metabolism and energy use. This finding may be especially important to stop what is commonly known as "yo-yo dieting," the cycle of repeated loss and regain of weight experienced by many dieters. The new vaccine, which is directed against the hormone ghrelin (pronounced "grell-in"), a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate energy balance in the body, has shown the potential, in animal models at least, to put an end to that risky and often futile struggle."

says the Scripps press release.

But before you start jumping up and down and getting trashed with all the chocolate, cake, chips and pizza you can eat, hold your horses for just a minute and read this: the anti-obesity vaccine is still being tested on mice (shame on the scientists!), and will take some time (read a few years) to be approved for human use. A bit of good news though: Swiss scientists are also working with ghrelin-based anti-obesity vaccine and are already testing it on humans.

So, sooner or later the anti-obesity vaccine will hit our local doctor's. I must admit I'm terrified of needles, so it might not be the thing for me. Anyhow, I think that the instant-lose-weight-vaccine could take all fun out of losing weight. All those hours contemplating in front of a chocolate cake (with a chocolate filling and some chocolate on top) repeating: I am stronger than you-I am not your slave-I can control my urges...and abusing your treadmill could be a part of history, and how fun would that be? Wait...where can I sign up become the human guinea pig to test the vaccine?

If you're interested in the scientific basis of the vaccine, please do visit Ruth's Biotech Weblog