Researchers Enable Mice To Exhale Fat

destinyland writes "UCLA researchers made a startling discovery: genetic alterations enable mice to convert fat into carbon dioxide. Mammals digest fats differently than bacteria — so researchers introduced bacteria genes into mouse livers, and 'the excess fat was literally released into thin air.' (One researcher calls it 'an unconventional idea which we borrowed from plants and bacteria.') The research potentially could help treat serious medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease — and of course, obesity."

Global warming?

[basementman]

The earth is screwed if we ever get this to work on humans. Good news is that we will be able to build Burger Kings in Antarctica. Bad news is that the burgers will be made out of penguins.

Well...

[nebaz]

I inhale cheeseburgers, I guess it would only be right to exhale them too.

Pfft, that's nothing.

[fryjs]

Politicians have been exhaling excrement for centuries.

New Diet Pills!

[PumpkinDog]

The slogan writes itself "Don't Hold Your Breath"

second-hand fat ...

[BenBoy]

... just sayin'

And yeah, I know it's CO2 ... you want a global-warming joke instead, *you* make it.

Fat Air

[Anonymous Coward]

Great... and then this "fat air" condenses out, and you're left with chubby rain, all over again.

Carbon credits?

[j-turkey]

So will mice taking this fat-to-CO2 drug have to pay for extra carbon credits? ;P

Re:Global warming?

[rs79]

Haven't they heard of global warming? Can't they get them to exhale chocolate?

MMmmm

[commodoresloat]

Have you tasted penguin? It's fucking delicious. Almost as good as bald eagle.

Re:Global warming?

[Zerth]

You'd have to be able to exhale fat if you ate penguin burgers. Those guys are so fat, they can go for a month or two without eating practically anything.

Being fat actually gets the males more loving, as the females of some species are more likely to mate with those who have a more resonant mating call, indicating thickness and thus likelyhood of not keeling over from hunger while the female runs off for weeks at a time.

You could practically cook an emperor penguin on a fire of its own grease.

Feh.

[bobdotorg]

Wake me up when they figure out how to make them exhale beer.

I could go for a cold MausBraü about now.

Richard Simmons' new DVD

[countertrolling]

"Panting to the Oldies"

Re:obPublic Service Announcement

[Anonymous Coward]

Until you can run 5 miles in a hour (12 minute miles, a slow run) everyday you can't say "I can't help being fat" because you're not even trying.

I'm a paraplegic, you insensitive clod!

Re:TEACH?

[SignalFreq]

Exhale fat? Great... now I'll have to worry about someone breathing second hand fat in my face...

Re:obPublic Service Announcement

[PPH]

Obesity is a predictable problem of placing humans in an environment with surplus food.

No problem. Divert all that food into the production of fuel for my Hummer. That way, every time I fill up, I can feel good about helping to keep people thin.

Re:Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

oh goodness gracious how I love that food that resembles food.

A former mayor of Philadelphia was once asked why no one else in the country can justly replicate the famous phili cheesesteak. He replied that their doing two things wrong 1) they're using real cheese and 2) they're using real meat.

Window gunk

[flyingfsck]

Oh man, imagine all the condensate on the furniture, computer screens and keyboards, windows and the like. Fortunately a typical geek lair doesn't have windows.