The baby diaper technology of the future

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orbital 123

Veteran XX
Is the diet pill of today.

Fatties rejoice.

BBC NEWS | Health | Pill to make dieters 'feel full'
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Italian scientists have developed a pill that expands in the stomach to make dieters feel full.

They liken the effect to eating a bowl of spaghetti and say the pill can stop hunger for a few hours.

It is made from a hydrogel, which the team developed when trying to make more absorbent nappy linings, and may help in the battle against obesity.

So far it has been tested on 20 people but experts warned bigger trials would be needed to test safety.

Professor Luigi Ambrosio, lead researcher on the study at Italy's National Research Council, realised when they developed the hydrogel it may have a similar effect to gastric banding - a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the stomach.

The tiny pill is powdery when dry but when swallowed with a glass of water turns to a jelly-like ball in the stomach.

It is made from an organic compound called cellulose and can be flushed out by the body.

The pill, which has yet to be named, is being tested in a further 90 overweight volunteers who will be monitored to see how much weight they lose and if there are any adverse effects.

Small portions

Professor Ambrosio said the pill should be taken about 30 minutes to one hour before each meal.

It passes through the digestive system within five to six hours.

"One of our researchers tried the pill - he took it at about 11am and was still full at six in the evening.

"It's like eating a bowl of spaghetti."

He said people could still eat a meal but would only need small portions.

"We expect the results of the trial in October and they we will try to launch the product in May 2008."
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Hmm... Imagine popping a few of these pills at once.. depressed suicidal fatty explodes spraying his intestines all over.
 
i wonder what would happen if someone ate a bunch, and then you swallowed one of these beauties. would you puke up the ball and get it stuck in the esophagus? it seems potenitally dangerous.

some people would probably use them to torture kids and pets as well. i could see some enterprising young bully steal one from his mom's medicine cabinet and then feed it to a neighborgood dog. "hey guys, watch this hahahaha!!" and then the dog falls over and dies from a ruptured intestine or something.
 
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