With KFC’s Double Down “sandwich” now threatening to slap quadruple chins across much of America, people may soon begin chomping at the bit for equally extreme diet solutions to counteract the havoc wreaked by the Colonel. Gelesis, a Boston-based drug company, has apparently read the grease-stained handwriting on the wall, and has just concocted a new pill aimed at helping plus-sized Americans shed some pounds — by convincing them that they’re full.

As Xconomy reports, Gelesis’ newest pill, Attiva, contains a bunch of super-absorbent hydrogel beads that swell up when introduced to water, meaning all you have to do is swallow one and you’re full. Of course, Gelesis doesn’t want to make anyone look like Lara Flynn Boyle, which is why the drug developers designed Attiva to fully blend with any ingested food. The hydrogel keeps whatever you eat in your stomach for a longer period, thus allowing your stomach more time to digest while the beads release the water they’ve absorbed. Once the train moves down to the low intestine, the beads begin to re-expand a bit, slowing the absorption of fat and sugar.

Continue reading Diet Pill Swells in Your Belly, Making You Feel Instantly Full

Diet Pill Swells in Your Belly, Making You Feel Instantly Full originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments