The Obesity Vaccine

Would you take a shot that promised to do away with your gut? That question is on the minds of Portugese researchers, who last week discovered an anti-hunger vaccine that reduced food intake in mice.

“After receiving the vaccine, the body produces antibodies against ghrelin, the so-called hunger hormone,” says lead researcher Mariana Monteiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Porto in Portugal. “This hormone makes people eat more because they’re hungrier, especially if they’re cutting calories.”

The vaccine, however, would allow people to eat less without feeling hungry. The mice in the study consumed 50 percent fewer calories after being vaccinated, and the research showed the effects could possibly last up to 4 years in humans. (Read More: Ways to Tame a Raging Appetite.)

Studies on humans are still a long way off, and a vaccine on the market could take as long as a decade, if it happens at all.

The findings were presented on Sunday at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Boston.

You may have guessed where we stand: You don't need a shot or pills to lose your gut—a plan and some discipline will do the trick. If you're packing on the pounds, work in a few of these Food Substitutions for Weight Loss and Fix These Mistakes that Keep You Fat.

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