Slashdot Mirror
"Fat-Burning Pill" Inches Closer To Reality
Zothecula writes with news that a fat burning pill may be on the horizon. "Researchers at Harvard University say they have identified two chemical compounds that could replace "bad" fat cells in the human body with healthy fat-burning cells, in what may be the first step toward the development of an effective medical treatment – which could even take the form of a pill – to help control weight gain. Not all fat is created equal. While white fat cells store energy as lipids and contribute to obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, the less common brown fat cells pack energy in iron-rich mitochondria, have been shown to lower triglyceride levels and insulin resistance in mice, and appear to be correlated with lower body weight in humans. Brown fat makes up about five percent of the body mass of healthy newborns, helping them keep warm, and is still present in lower quantities in our neck and shoulders as adults, where it helps burn the white fat cells."
That's fine for those who are already healthy. For someone who has made the mistake to allow themselves to become obese it's not so easy. The body resists change and making drastic changes in lifestyle is not a simple thing. If there could be a safe way to assist in reversing obesity, alongside lifestyle changes, it could be a good way to generate results and bolster motivation.
Simplistic and self-righteous comments are not helpful.
It doesn't work. It is proven that people with real weight problems will actually lose weight to just recover it and more after 2 to 3 years. The only thing that currently gives permanent results is stomach surgery, which is a bit radical. There is piles and tons of studies to prove that.It has nothing to do with self-discipline. You have no idea what you are talking about.
Achille Talon
Hop!
Brown fat development is interesting. Not only it burns fat, but it also produces heat. I always thought it was really dumb to feel cold in winter while we had all that energy stored as fat on our bellies.
Right now the only trick I heard of to develop brown fat was body exposition to cold: it seems the more clothes you put on, the less heat you produce. Now we have some drug, but unfortunately TFA says it messes with inflamatory response, which is not a good news. I think most people will be better with fat rather than with a cancer.
If by that you mean "most people" I agree.
However, I think the idea that they're going to be able to magically fix your metabolism so you won't get fat by taking some drug that WON'T HARM YOU sounds a little far-fetched.
I mean, for it to work it has to change either your basic metabolism (which sounds incredibly unsafe) or interfere with the fundamental behavioral food-seeking function common to all animals.
How's that going to work?