Vibrating Pill May Give Dieters a Feeling of Fullness, Study Suggests (theguardian.com) 56
Scientists have developed a vibrating pill that, when swallowed before eating, can create a feeling of fullness. The Guardian reports: The research, which has yet to be carried out in humans, shows that after 30 minutes of activity by the Vibes pill, pigs ate on average almost 40% less food in the following half hour than they did without the device, and gained weight more slowly. The Vibes name is an acronym derived from the pill's full title -- Vibrating Ingestible BioElectronic Stimulator. The work in pigs suggests the vibrations activate stretch receptors in the stomach, simulating the presence of food. This results in signals being sent to the hypothalamus in the brain via the vagus nerve, increasing levels of various hormones that give rise to a feeling of fullness and decreasing those that result in feelings of hunger.
"We envision the Vibes pill being ingested on a relatively empty stomach 20 to 30 min before anticipated meals to trigger the desired sensation of satiety early in the meal,â the team write, adding that when produced at scale, the cost of the pills is expected to be in the cents to one dollar range. The vibrations, which are powered by a battery encased in the swallowed capsule, can be triggered when stomach acid dissolves a membrane around the pill, or by a timer. The researchers say the pills, which are about the size of a large vitamin tablet, offer a non-invasive, temporary therapy, without the need for weight-loss surgery, and exit the body with other solid waste -- meaning in humans they are flushed down the toilet. However they suggest it could be possible to develop pills that are implanted, or stay in the stomach, to reduce the need for people to repeatedly take them, should they require continuing therapy. Further reading: Man Reports PillCam Stuck In His Gut For Over 12 Weeks
"We envision the Vibes pill being ingested on a relatively empty stomach 20 to 30 min before anticipated meals to trigger the desired sensation of satiety early in the meal,â the team write, adding that when produced at scale, the cost of the pills is expected to be in the cents to one dollar range. The vibrations, which are powered by a battery encased in the swallowed capsule, can be triggered when stomach acid dissolves a membrane around the pill, or by a timer. The researchers say the pills, which are about the size of a large vitamin tablet, offer a non-invasive, temporary therapy, without the need for weight-loss surgery, and exit the body with other solid waste -- meaning in humans they are flushed down the toilet. However they suggest it could be possible to develop pills that are implanted, or stay in the stomach, to reduce the need for people to repeatedly take them, should they require continuing therapy. Further reading: Man Reports PillCam Stuck In His Gut For Over 12 Weeks
Re: Not going to work (Score:3)
That, and itâ(TM)s not typically meals that push them over the limit usually. The meal is usually quite sensible. Itâ(TM)s the snacks in between that cause problems.
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If this were true then dish and utensil size wouldn't have an effect on the amount people eat, yet buffets can tell you that they very much do.
Re: Not going to work (Score:2)
Why would dish/utensil size have an effect if theyâ(TM)re eating for dopamine?
Re: Not going to work (Score:2)
Bingo!
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Because it's not as simple as "tasty food == dopamine".
While that's a part of it the sensation and experience comes from our other senses too. Like the saying goes "We eat first with our eyes" so the visual aspect of the food, the smell of the environment, the food and drink alongside it all has an effect on our behavior.
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It is possible that there is more than one problem. He should have said "even if meals are sensible, snacks between means cause problems".
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I'm actually wondering if the pill gives you a feeling of an upset stomach and mild nausea, which - surprise! - would result in a loss of appetite as the body is figuring out if it needs to vomit or not.
And of course, the pigs can't actually tell the scientists how they feel.
Re:Not going to work (Score:4, Interesting)
It's been shown that dieting is often difficult and doesn't last even if weight is lost, because the body doesn't regulate feeling hungry properly. It basically goes into starvation mode, where it tries to get all the calories it can, on the assumption that it won't be getting a regular supply.
If this pill makes the use feel full, it will make it easier to diet and to keep the weight off.
I'm interested to know what the power source is.
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I'm interested to know what the power source is.
a silver oxide battery.
https://www.science.org/doi/10... [science.org]
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Thanks. I'm kinda glad it's single use.
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People that eat too much do it because it tastes good or makes them feel good or whatever
where did you get that idea from?
in modern society hunger isn't a very reliable mechanism to signal energy needs indeed, because food is just too accessible and energetic, but hunger is still a very potent driver of food (over) consumption. some people can address this the hard way with self control and discipline, and then some people (specially those needing to diet in the first place) just can't and might use a bit of help with that. that's why a plethora of treatments exist to reduce the hunger drive, s
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Depending where you live: cheap food is simply super bad.
I live in Thailand atm, it is impossible to get fat from simple super delicious and cheap food.
Re:Not going to work (Score:4, Interesting)
thai food is indeed delicious (and healthy, from what i know) but these guys want a word with you ...
https://www.standardmedia.co.k... [standardmedia.co.ke]
then again people in thailand don't have to hunt or scavenge their healthy food, which is what our species did for millions of years and is how hunger evolved to be what it is. which is what i meant. it's only a few thousand years that we can munch down carbs and fat like there is no tomorrow. our bodies have yet to adapt to the change.
hunger simply doesn't work like it did. there are lots of other factors today (bad habits, ignorance, anxiety, psychological and social issues) but hunger is still one important lever and driving force that pushes underneath them all. what i mean is that rationalizing hunger is key to address eating disorders.
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Funny article!
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Depending where you live: cheap food is simply super bad.
I live in Thailand atm, it is impossible to get fat from simple super delicious and cheap food.
That can and will and is changing as countries become wealthier and more industrialized, Thailand included.
This idea that Asians and their diet cannot lead to obesity is as much a stereotype that they are all good at math.
Using the WPRO standard, the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity (BMI23.0 kg/m2) in Thai adults aged 19 years and over was 40.9%. Approximately 17.1% of this population were classified as overweight (BMI 23.0–24.9 kg/m2), 19.0% as class I obesity (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2), and 4.8% as class II obesity (BMI30.0 kg/m2).
"Doing better than America" is the lowest of bars for obesity lol
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Perhaps you should learn the term "figurative speech".
They I are wealthy enough to eat what ever they want.
To get fat from Thai food you only need to eat an absurd amount of rice. Simple.
Point is: if you eat "normal", you do not get fat.
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That applies to literally every country and person on earth so much as to be meaningless.
And yet every country as it gets wealthier it gets more obese
Almost like there are multiple factors going on and we might have to examine things further.
" it is impossible to get fat from simple super delicious and cheap food." is not "figurative"
Re: (Score:1)
Marginally, yes.
But I personally do not look at getting fat from food but getting fat from age, haha.
Anyway, one big shift is: less labour work, more mind work. Were I life most people are slim.
Only fat kids are fat and middle aged shop owners. Well, and some teachers, probably half of them.
But really obese no one is.
" it is impossible to get fat from simple super delicious and cheap food." is not "figurative"
Yes it is. But perhaps you find a better word for figurative. The German term "im uebertragenden Si
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We evolved to feel good when we ate because if you don't eat you will die.
It's not news that people eat because it makes them feel good. No citation is needed.
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People that eat too much do it because it tastes good or makes them feel good or whatever
where did you get that idea from?
...? Maslow [simplypsychology.org].
People are over fulfilling a basic need as compensation for the fact they are unable to reliably fulfill their higher-order needs.
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yes, calming hunger may make you feel good.
now, ofc there are many other reasons for people to overeat. know what? sometimes people even eat without hunger, and without even feeling good. simply because it's dinner time and they are supposed to eat at that point. or because they want to fuck a date. even if their body has still energy for a whole week, and they will not eat with great appetite, they still will eat when they don't need it or don't even want it.
there are many sides to overeating. then again,
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Re: Not going to work (Score:2)
You can't overeat if your digestive tract is full of vegetables. But, that's not a popular idea. After all, who wants to "eat their vegetables"?
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What makes you think "a good feeling" is the goal? And what do you know about why people eat too much? Or even what too much is?
Re: Not going to work (Score:2)
Or you could just, I don't know, eat some vegetables to feel fuller faster. Average American: "give us a pill!!!"
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Vibrating butt plugs for the win. I predict that's all they will be bought for.
Re: How long... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
How long will it take until someone tries it as a suppository as well?
From where do you think the "vibrating pill" is going to come out after people ingest it? Rinse, recharge and re-use!
waste stream? (Score:4, Insightful)
(About 20 years ago there was some publicity around the rising levels of estrogens (from birth control) in European water supplies - which isn't known for being an arid region-, which was nearly impossible to remove economically (source: friend at water utility in a slightly more arid country with a greater need for recycling). I sometimes wonder how much that contributes to the alphabet soup proliferation, but I digress...)
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Re: (Score:2)
Someone said they used silver-oxide batteries, which are like watch/motherboard batteries. Typically those contain heavy metals. I'm guessing they have a "medical grade" available where the toxic materials are minimized.
Powered by a battery ... (Score:2)
... what could possibly go wrong?
Re: Powered by a battery ... (Score:2)
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note to self: avoid the Samsung version of swappable pills!
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i'm guessing their priority was to test if the concept works, solving the energy problem cleanly surely isn't easy and wasn't really the goal. plus they tested it with pigs, and we humans don't have much empathy with other species, specially not pigs.
i guess anyone ever thinking of building a product for hoomans out of this would look for something else. if anything just to avoid getting sued.
what about digestion? (Score:3)
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You're in the wrong thread, and not on your usual porn site.
Is it a suppository? (Score:2)
Thinking ahead to marketing (Score:2)
When it finally comes to market, I have to wonder whether the picture on the pill packaging is going to show a smiling model rubbing her cheek with it.
It'd probably work better ... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I was just thinking a belt. Is there a particular reason the vibrations have to come from inside?
Poop (Score:2)
I bet that feels great when you poop it out.
Joke. (Score:2)
Remote control (Score:2)
Some day you will have a permanent 'pill' implant in your stomach to control your appetite, and various other implants for your blood pressure, heart rate, hormone secretions, etc. They will be connected to your cellphone and you can just click on some settings that are appropriate for the situation. Doesn't sound all that far away.
And then there will be hackers that jack you all around.
Bad Premise (Score:3)
I don't think this will be effective. You'd quickly get desensitized to the vibrations and just be hungrier than ever. The nervous system is funny like that, it's like it learns from external stimuli or something...
Biggest problem: (Score:2)
a multi-billion dollar industry whose purpose is to make you eat more.
BREAKING NEWS: Skating Declared Obesity Cure! (Score:2)
Dr. Glide Skatesmith, the lead researcher behind this paradigm-shifting revelation, excitedly shared, "After years of extensive research, we've
Eat fiber (Score:2)
For that "full" feeling. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc. It's what our ancestors did when the hunt failed. Not many useful calories, but they will give you that full feeling. And keep you alive until the hunting party returns with a water buffalo. You could go full starvation and eat shoe leather as well. In the time-honored tradition of some Antarctic explorers.
Generating a full feeling works as long as you don't have bags of cookies, chips and bottles of soda pop in the pantry. Also, shop for your food on
Re: (Score:2)
ahh yes, the classic prescription of "hey everyone in society, just change!"
That's what we are being asked to do about global warming. How do we expect to to that if the benefits of change are further along in time and not as clearly linked to behavior as "Put down the chips and soda pop now"?
Future concientousness no snakejazz (Score:2)
Alternatively... (Score:2)
Great...more waste. (Score:2)
Yes yes, it's just a tiny little capsule, but it's got a battery and presumably plastic. As if we need to be shitting more non-biodegradable waste into our sewers, water supplies, and waterways.
If I put away that complaint, I actually do love the idea of a non-pharmaceutical appetite suppressant. Cool idea.
"Vibrating pill may give".. uh-oh! (Score:2)