- New microchip could be alternative to weight-loss surgery, say researchers
- Attaches to nerve that controls appetite and sends electrical signals to brain
- These signals reduce the urge to eat and curb appetite, aiding weight loss
- Trials on humans could start within three years
By
Emma Innes
10:45 EST, 3 April 2013
|
13:57 EST, 3 April 2013
A microchip implanted in the stomach could be another way to tackle obesity, say scientists.
Hailed as an alternative to weight-loss surgery, the device is said to reduce the urge to eat.
Developed by researchers at Imperial College London, it is attached to the vagus nerve, which controls how much we eat by telling the brain the stomach is full.
Once attached, the microchip sends electrical
signals to the brain to reduce appetite.
The microchip can be attached to the vagus nerve, through which it sends electrical signals to the brain to reduce appetite
The vagus nerve is one of the largest nerve systems in the body. It extends from the the base of the brain and weaves through the body, carrying signals to and from the brain.
It regulates everything from breathing to heart rate and chemical levels in the digestive system.
The new electronic implant would attach to the nerve in the peritoneal cavity in the abdomen and would reduce appetite without causing any side effects, the researchers say.
‘[The device] will be [about] control of appetite rather
than saying don’t eat completely. So maybe instead of eating fast you’ll
eat a lot slower, the microchip’s creator, Professor Chris Toumazou, told the BBC.
Professor
Stephen Bloom, who leads the university’s diabetes, endocrinology and
metabolism department, added that the device could eventually be used as
an alternative to major surgery.
He said: ‘As far as the
brain is concerned, it will get the same signals from the intestinal
system as it normally gets after a meal, and these signals tell it don’t
eat any more – the gut’s full of food and you don’t need to eat any
more.’
The chip (pictured) could be more effective than weight-loss surgery and could have fewer side-effects
He added that unlike a gastric band, the implant can reduce both consumption and hunger and could, therefore, be more effective.
The implant is soon to be tested on animals and the designers hope that tests on humans will start within three years.
The researchers at Imperial College London have also created a similar device that targets the vagus nerve as a way of reducing epileptic seizures.
News of this device comes shortly after scientists developed a similar piece of technology which targets the vagus nerve as a way of combatting asthma attacks.
In this case, the device can be held against the neck where it releases low-level electrical signals that stimulate the nerve.
It works by triggering the release of the hormone adrenaline which acts to relax the muscles in the walls of the airway, widening the tubes that connect to the lungs, allowing more air in and out of the body.
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Most people do not eat when they are hungry. They eat because of regular mealtimes. They eat in order to avoid getting hungry in the first place. They eat because they are bored. They eat because they like the taste of things. They eat because the temptation to eat is there. Hunger does not usually come into it.
Jones
,
Germany,
03/4/2013 21:16
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Self control, or you can pay for it! This should never be dished out on the NHS.
Richard
,
Midi Pyrénées, France,
03/4/2013 20:51
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Or you could eat less.
Gnostickev
,
Brighton, United Kingdom,
03/4/2013 19:41
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If you have no self control no matter what you do it won’t help. If I’m having a bad day I gorge on chocolate even when I’m not hungry!
Gc123x
,
Leicestershire,
03/4/2013 19:33
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Good Lord, have they managed to develop willpower in a computer chip? Stop blaming everything and anything bar yourself and just use willpower! I’ve dropped 3 1/2 stone in 10 months just by resisting the urge to eat crisps, pastries and chocolate biscuits ( the comfort eating of which is how I got to be the ridiculous weight in the first place) and by walking the short distances I used to drive. It took willpower and determination but it is worth it as I now feel better than I have for years and I’m proud to be able to say I did it all by myself.
J Smith
,
UK,
03/4/2013 19:17
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how about good old fashioned self control.. ???
stig of the dump
,
Kent, United Kingdom,
03/4/2013 19:06
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Just lose weight naturally, you cannot better nature with quick fad pills and crash diets where you never know the full implications until later down the road when you need medical intervention to correct the damage. It’s not hard to lose weight, just eat the right foods sensibly, develop healthy habits such as yoga, walking and exercise and you won’t need artificial treatments. The only true challenge is discipline, which is an imperative value to develop if you are to be strong and fit for a lifetime. However it will never be cultivated taking the easy way out.
DoubleEdge
,
London, United Kingdom,
03/4/2013 18:56
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I’ll pass thanks.
Me
,
London,
03/4/2013 18:13
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