Reduce fat with anti-hunger tablets

Italian scientists have created a pill that can expand in the abdomen, making users feel full. It's like eating a big bowl of noodles and being able to resist hunger for several hours.

The pill blooms into a ball when drinking with water.(Photo: BBC)

Professor Luigi Ambrosio, at the Italian National Research Committee, said the tiny tablet is in powder form when dry but when taken with water it turns into a flexible ball in the stomach. It is made of organic compounds called cellulose and can escape the body.

The team found that the pill had the same effect as gastrectomy - a procedure to reduce stomach size, to help fight obesity. The pill is still unnamed and is being tested in 90 overweight volunteers to monitor how much weight they will lose and whether there are any side effects.

Professor Ambrosio said that it should be taken within 30 minutes to 1 hour before meals. It will stay in the digestive system for about 5-6 hours.

"One of the researchers tried the pill at 11am and was still full until 6pm. It was like eating a bowl of noodles," Ambrosio said. "He can still eat more but just need a small serving. We hope to have test results in October and will release the product in May next year."

MT