Until now, the common supplements to aid with weight loss are those that supposedly suppress the appetite. Surgical treatments take a similar approach by reducing food consumption.
However, scientists may have stumbled upon a new, significantly healthier, way to encourage weight loss, with the help of a hormone that promotes a more energetic mood.
The University of Zurich researchers have discovered that raised levels of the hormone erythropoietin (Epo) in mice resulted in faster, more motivated movements. An additional advantage is that the activity had no effect on red blood cell counts.
The new information can be used to make a hormone pill to treat conditions ranging for obesity to Alzheimer’s disease to depression.
Max Gassman, one of the researchers on the team, said: “Here we show that Epo increases the motivation to exercise. Most probably, Epo has a general effect on a person’s mood and might be used in patients suffering from depression and related diseases.”
Dr. Gerald Weissmann of the FASEB Journal added: “If you can’t put exercise in a pill, then maybe you can put the motivation to exercise in a pill instead.
“As more and more people become overweight and obese, we must attack the problem from all angles. Maybe the day will come when gyms are as easily found as fast food restaurants.”
