Toronto - (ECN) - Over the years, obesity has become a disease spread among the human race. More and more people are falling prey to the seemingly incurable obesity that seems all too common. Over one million individuals live with obesity, whether self-inflicted, hereditary, or otherwise. Many of these people struggle with weight loss supplements, dieting and exercise to assist them in losing weight. The struggle has seemed in vain until now.
Scientists have been studying for many years in attempt to find the cause of obesity and ways to better treat it. They have recently experimented with a technique that may help eliminate obesity altogether. Scientists claim that there is a fatty substance contained within the stomach that signals the brain when the body no longer needs nourishment. Scientists experimented with this substance in rats and mice to further develop the technique and knowledge. They claim that the same substance that is contained within other animals that regulate their eating is also within the human body. Scientists refer to this chemical messenger as "NAPE".
NAPE was injected into the abdomen of mice to experiment with the chemical. Shortly after being injected, the rodent's appetites greatly decreased. The same occurred when a smaller dose was injected into their brain. This proved to scientists that the chemical could be injected and used, rather than just the body using the method.
Scientists claim that this is one of the many methods used by the body to send signals to the brain. After experimenting with the hormone in mice, scientists are confident that the technique can be used to fight obesity. After having used this technique on the rodents for a week, the mice and rats lost weight and ate a lot less.
Gerald Shulman, one of the scientists working on this experiment, states that they are attempting to find new ways to regulate how much food individuals consume. He also states that NAPE may be one of the newest methods to fight obesity. Experts are still working to understand how to control food intake so that they might help those already obese, or stop the disease before it can take its course in other individuals.
Scientists also say that this treatment is seemingly safe, as they are simply using chemicals already produced by the body. Some wonder if it is truly safe, questioning whether the body does not produce the chemical regularly in obese individuals for a reason. Experts are still working to make sure that the technique is completely safe so that they may begin treatment with this chemical.
