Now, a drug to fight sweet cravings
July 19th, 2010 - 2:44 pm ICT by ANISydney, July 19 (ANI): Researchers from Australia have invented a new drug that will help people to curb their sweet cravings.
The new drug is expected to fight overeating by making sweet food less pleasurable.
Food stimulated the same reward pathways in the brain as drugs of addiction such as heroin and cocaine, said Michael Cowley, director of the Obesity and Diabetes Institute at Monash University, Melbourne.
He also said that for some people, food cravings were a major reason for weight problems.
“People who say they have food cravings tend to uniformly crave sweet food. The reward pathways of their brain are activated quite strongly when they eat sugary food,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Cowley as saying.
Cowley’s new drug works by changing the way the reward pathways react.
“We have developed a drug which works on those pathways,” said Cowley.
“People who have used it in our trials have lost weight because they feel they have better control over what they eat. It changes the way their brain reacts to foods so they feel less compelled to eat,” he added.
The US Food and Drug Administration are assessing the drug.
Professor Cowley insisted that the drug is not a magic bullet. Individuals need to take action on their diet and exercise levels, supported by federal, state and local government projects.
“There are many, many reasons why people become overweight or obese and, equally, there are many, many ways to address the problem,” said Cowley. (ANI)
- 'Drug from lizard saliva reduces food craving' - May 16, 2012
- Brain wiring makes women anorexic or obese - May 15, 2012
- Exercise can make you want sugary foods even more - Mar 08, 2011
- 'Junk food' moms have 'junk food' babies - Mar 24, 2011
- Found! Hormone that makes you pile on pounds - Oct 16, 2011
- High-fat diet prevents brain from burning calories - Sep 10, 2010
- Drugs used to treat addiction may help people lose weight - Jul 30, 2010
- Scientists find why we just can't say no - Apr 25, 2012
- Why anorexics don't like eating - May 22, 2011
- Gently tapping away craving for foods, snacks - Apr 24, 2010
- Brain cells, not lack of willpower, determine obesity: Study - Sep 09, 2010
- Consuming junk food 'harms brain health' - Oct 27, 2010
- Potential mechanisms that contribute to 'I am full' feeling identified - Mar 04, 2011
- Why we crave for specific foods - May 18, 2010
- Anti-obesity drugs dull brain pleasure centres to 'food porn' - Oct 27, 2010
Tags: addiction, diabetes institute, exercise levels, food and drug, food and drug administration, food cravings, government projects, heroin and cocaine, magic bullet, michael cowley, monash university melbourne, morning herald, obesity, overeating, reward pathways, state and local government, sweet cravings, sweet food, sydney morning herald, us food and drug administration