A study released yesterday suggests that there may be an injection that over weight patients can take to curb their appetite and reduce their weight. The hormone primitive is currently being used to treat diabetics. However, researchers began a six week trial giving the injections to over weight patients.
Patients who were injected with the hormone were found to eat less but report feeling full despite having eaten less. The study also included a ‘junk food phase’ and even then, the hormone seemed to do the trick. People who had the treatment ate substantially less junk food. The study required that patients be given a shot 15 minutes before eating and the average weight loss among the group who received the hormone, was 4.5 pounds over a period of 6 weeks. The potential benefit of using a hormone shot vs. a diet pill to control appetite and over eating is that hormones are already the body’s natural means to control over eating (or to indulge it.) The shots work with what the body already does naturally.
Typically, when you go on a diet, you may be disciplined but your body is fully aware that you are taking in less calories. It compensates by sending signals to your brain letting it know to eat more, to take in more calories. The benefit of this type of hormone therapy is that patients actually feel like they’re full and not hungry anymore. The hormones ‘change’ the chemistry in the brain to make it think you are eating just as much as before.
But don’t get ready to get your injections yet! Critics say that the study only followed patients for 6 weeks. They say another trial for a longer period is in order to prove that the weight loss and curbed appetite is permanent.
Also, the treatment could prove to be too expensive for the general market. Remember, this began as a drug to treat diabetics. While I recognize that many people may well go to all sorts of drastic measures to lose weight. . .injecting yourself multiples times per day (the injection has to be given fifteen minutes before you eat anything) is probably not something many people are willing to do.
Nonetheless, if you’ve tried diet after diet with minimal success, this may be one treatment that you want to watch for in the coming years.