By Jenny Suo
The fight against fat isn't easy. So is a quick fix the answer?
US researchers used obese mice to test a new anti-obesity vaccine, and saw a 10 percent drop in body weight just four days after the jab.
The shot works by tackling a hormone called somatostatin which suppresses the growth hormones that boost our metabolism. The vaccine helps the body generate anti-bodies, removing the somatostatin’s interference and increasing weight loss.
“It's like getting a flu shot. And really within a period of two weeks, no changing your diet, not changing any of your habits, because its really hard to do – you could lose 20 percent of your body weight,” says Braasch Biotech CEO Jeralyn Haffer.
But some health professionals say that being healthy isn't just about being thin, and the jab could turn its users away from a good diet and exercise.
“It’s not just about looking good on the outside, it’s also about looking good on the inside as well and what our blood sugar levels are like, what our cholesterol levels are like,” says dietician Maryrose Spence.
“I think we need to take all of that into account, it needs to be done in an environment that's healthy for us.”
Currently, 65 percent of New Zealanders are overweight.
But the so called ‘flab jab’ is still a while a way yet – obese dogs and pigs are next in line for testing, before moving on to human trials.
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