Photo: Marcelo Santos (Getty)
Are you a busy worker on the go? Kids driving you crazy and there’s just not enough time to eat? Need a quick boost of energy to keep you alert for a workout? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! With Foodjectables, there’s no need to prepare a meal. Just fill the container, inject the food directly into your bloodstream, and that’s it. No messy cooking, no time-consuming prep work- just the satisfaction of a full meal in an instant.
Sound crazy to you? Well, it might not for too much longer. As it turns out, something similar to this might actually be possible in the surprisingly near future. More specifically, a special protein injection is being worked on that can block the sensation of hunger, kill appetites and stop someone from feeling the need to nom.
Unfortunately, this isn’t like that magical Willy Wonka candy that feels like an entire meal being eaten, so the introduction to this article may have been a slight exaggeration. Still, this is a step towards something like that, and more importantly, it’s a big step towards curtailing the obesity epidemic. When the injections are made communication between the belly and the brain is stimulated to trick a person’s mind into thinking that they are feeling plenty full. If people don’t feel hungry, then they don’t need to eat as often, leading to less pounds being packed on, more pounds lost, and healthier lifestyle choices being made.
Currently, this method of munchie combat is being tested on mice and monkeys, which questionable ethics aside, is actually going quite well, and not just for the scientists involved either. As it turns out, monkeys tested dropped weight faster and became less at risk for Type 2 diabetes. The mice who were tested also benefited, as they actually began choosing to eat better, healthier food choices after receiving their injections. Neither the monkeys nor the mice have been negatively affected by the injections in any visible capacity, and so the tests have been considered a stunning success so far.
If further successes are had in the lab then the testing will move on to human beings. At this point there’s no reason to think that this won’t happen, so really it’s less of a question of if the test will proceed than it is a question of when they will proceed. This is good news for humanity, which needs all the help it can get when it comes to diet control.
h/t Forbes
