The eventual hope is to separate the two functions of the brain messeneger - so that we can still be hungry and have a normal appetite, but trick the brain into burning up more energy. There could even be a pill which would help regulate weight without affecting our desire to eat. For a lot of people with modern lifestyles, obesity creeps up on them and often, you don't have to overeat to become fat. A treatment to tackle obesity could also have a major impact on reducing the number of people suffering from obesity-related diabetes. If we can prevent obesity, we could save lives and millions of pounds a year in the treatment of heart disease, strokes and diabetes.
Obesity is a growing problem in the UK and in other developed countries.
Obese people have a far higher chance of suffering heart problems, as well as developing potentially disabling conditions such as diabetes.