Can a seaweed pill fight obesity?
Dieting, drugs and weight loss seem to dominate the headlines around this time of year, as we all struggle to shrug of the guilt of those Christmas indulgences.
We've already heard about the £1 a day diet pill, the new 'fat diet' sweeping the US and now it's time to make room for the latest drug buzz; the seaweed diet pill.
The pill apparently fools the stomach into thinking it's full and could soon be used to tackle obesity. It works by stretching the stomach wall, and sending signals to the brain that it's full.
Its effects are already been compared to that of a surgical gastric band, although it obviously doesn't require any of the messy medical procedures. It's slated to make an appearance in the UK around April, and most surprisingly will be available over the counter.
Is it all hype, will it really work and are there any nasty side effects? Well, it's already been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority, which is obviously a good start.
Appesat works by taking it half and hour before a meal and is then washed through the body, after digestion and then flushed out- nice.
We think the secret behind the pill's success is the seaweed, which is found on the French Atlantic coast. It supposedly works inside the body, by swelling it to larger than its normal size, which to be honest sounds quite horrible.
But if clinical trials are anything to go by, the drug is already being hailed as a success among weight loss volunteers, who have lost an average of around one and a half stone in three months, reports Marie Claire.
Before you start cancelling your gym membership and stocking up on chocolate once again however, this new wonder pill isn't that cheap an option for those on a tight budget this year, costing £29.95 for 50 capsules.
If it does work and you are overweight, then that may be a small price to pay for improving your health, but for those of us who just need to tone the flab, sticking it out at the gym may be the best way to go this New Year.
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