A cure for obesity could be on it's way in the form of an injection being developed by Harvard and MIT.
Scientists are the two universities claim to have discovered a way to tweak DNA so that it speeds up our metabolisms, which in turn burns excess fat quicker.
While overeating and a lack of exercise can combine to add a few extra pounds to your body, many researchers believe that genetics play a major role in how you store and burn fat, as people carrying extra weight often posses a variant of the FTO(Fat Mass and Obesity-associated) protein enzyme, which also goes by the term, "obesity gene".
Researchers from Harvard and MIT say claim that gene prevents fat from being burned via the production of heat, so basically exercise. But by using this new process, they can edit your genes, swap out the bad DNA and replace it with the correct sequence, thus negating the effects of the obesity gene.
The senior author of the research, Professor Manolis Kellis, claimed that "obesity has traditionally been seen as the result of an imbalance between the amount of food we eat and how much we exercise, but this view ignores the contribution of genetics to each individual's metabolism,"
"By manipulating this new pathway, we could switch between energy storage and energy dissipation providing new hope for a cure against obesity.”
Unfortunately, while still being significant medical breakthrough, the actual injection could be months, if not years away from being finalised, so we may have a while to wait.
Also, it would seem that process is meant for those suffering from a genetic disorder that causes a weight issue, and not just those who are carrying a few extra pounds.
Basically, if you're stuffing trash into your face all day while vegging out on the couch and wondering why you're gaining weight, it's probably not your metabolism that's at fault, and this won't be of much use to you.
Via Telegraph
