Out with the old, like Wegovy, and in with the new: a vibrating pill that takes its residence in your stomach, purportedly armed to combat obesity, as per a recent study.
From Study Finds:
A vibrating stomach pill could be an affordable method of combating obesity, according to a new study. This innovative device transmits signals to the brain, inducing a sensation of fullness and reducing the user’s urge to eat.
In trials with animals, administering the pill 20 minutes before feeding led to a notable decrease in food consumption by approximately 40 percent. The pill functions by engaging the body’s natural mechanisms, presenting a potential alternative to invasive surgeries, physical exercise, or dieting for weight management.
“For somebody who wants to lose weight or control their appetite, it could be taken before each meal. This could be really interesting in that it would provide an option that could minimize the side effects that we see with the other pharmacological treatments out there,” says Assistant Professor Shriya Srinivasan from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in a media release. “I wondered if we could activate stretch receptors in the stomach by vibrating them and having them perceive that the entire stomach has been expanded, to create an illusory sense of distension that could modulate hormones and eating patterns.”
The capsule, comparable in size to a multivitamin, operates by stimulating the brain to produce insulin and specific hormones that aid in digestion, foster a feeling of fullness, and curtail eating. Concurrently, the levels of ghrelin, a hormone that promotes hunger, decrease.
I've never been one to oppose the use of devices and medications for those grappling with weight issues, but the notion of something vibrating inside my stomach just gives me the creeps, for some reason.
