London, Oct 23: Want to lose weight? Try eating.
That`s one of the strategies being developed by scientists
experimenting with foods that trick the body into feeling full.
At the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, England,
food expert Peter Wilde and colleagues are developing foods
that slow down the digestive system, which then triggers a
signal to the brain that suppresses appetite.
"That fools you into thinking you`ve eaten far too much
when you really haven`t," said Wilde. From his studies on fat
digestion, he said it should be possible to make foods, from
bread to yogurts, that make it easier to diet.
While the research is preliminary, Wilde`s approach to
curbing appetite is one that some doctors say could be key in
combating the obesity epidemic.
"Being able to switch off appetite would be a big help for
people having trouble losing weight," said Steve Bloom, a
professor of investigative medicine at London`s Imperial
College, who is not connected to Wilde`s research.
Scientists in North America and elsewhere in Europe are
also trying to control appetite, including through chemical
injections or implantable devices that interfere with the
digestive system.
Bloom said that regulating appetite through modified foods
is theoretically possible. Other mechanisms in the body, like
cholesterol production, are already routinely tweaked with
medicines.
But Bloom warned that controlling appetite may be more
challenging. "The body has lots of things to prevent its
regulatory mechanisms from being tricked," he said.
Wilde`s research hinges on the body`s mechanisms for
digesting fat.
Bureau Report
