A new drug for weight loss is being developed by the afore-mentioned professor.

The drug works by switching off the appetite by mimicking the effect of the hormone that is naturally released when the stomach is full.

The hormone, Oxyntomodulin, is also found in those who have had their stomachs made small by operations such as Gastric Bypass.

The professor says that he wanted to develop something that will produce weight loss without the need for surgery.

The drug is still in the early stages of development and initially will be given to diabetics but in time could be available over the counter according the The Daily Mail.

The professor is reported to have said, "If you take away hunger, food is not attractive".  Is the professor saying that people who overeat do so because they do not have enough of the said hormone to tell them they are full or do they overeat regardless of this particular hormone's  level?  I think the answer is clear!  Given the number of overweight/obese in this country, surely they cannot all be suffering from a lack of the ability to feel full.

People overeat for a vast wealth of reasons, even when they are obviously full and obesity is the result.

One has to be cautious when another "wonder" diet pill hits the headlines.  Questions need to be asked such as will it cause more health issues than it sets out to solve?  What are the long term effects?

Indeed more and more people are turning to therapy following disastrous bariatric  surgery.  If you haven't got your emotions and mental health sussed, even bariatric surgery will fail you in the end.

Non surgical solutions to the obesity epidemic are to be welcomed but by far and away the best course of action is to look deep inside yourself to find out the root cause of your weight issues and find a way to resolve it if at all possible.

James.

Approximately 37 million Americans have a BMI of 30-40 and at least one co morbid condition such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnoea, and premature death.

Obesity is a growing health epidemic and there is a need for additional effective treatments.

Diet and exercise is unsuccessful in 80-85% of patients over 1 year.

Weight-loss surgery is the next option.

The FDA has decided to expand the use of Allergan's gastric band, LAP-BAND® System, as a potential treatment for those patients with obesity and a related health condition, who have failed the more conservative weight-loss therapies such as diet, exercise and drugs.

Medical research has found that those individuals who are currently obese will likely remain obese unless they receive some form of treatment. However, not all weight-loss treatments are effective over the long term

Obesity is often viewed as a lack of will power, but it is a disease which requires medical treatment. Unfortunately diet and exercise alone do not work for everyone.

The LAP-BAND® System provides an effective treatment option in combination with diet and exercise, and is effective as it enables sustained weight loss.