Vibrating Pill: The Next Big Thing in Medical Weight-loss Solutions?
Researchers just created a vibrating weight-loss pill. The next big thing in medical weight-loss solutions?
- The Vibratory Ingestible BioElectronic Stimulator (VIBES) pill reduced food consumption by 40% in pigs.
- It tricks your brain into thinking the stomach is full.
A new vibrating weight-loss pill has shown great success in reducing food consumption by 40% in pigs, promising a new age of medical weight-loss solutions.
The small pill, known as the Vibratory Ingestible BioElectronic Stimulator (VIBES), activates the stretch receptors to trick your brain into thinking your stomach is full. The things we invent to lose weight…
The VIBES pill, approximately the size of a large vitamin, contains a tiny motor that starts vibrating upon reaching the stomach. As the vibrations stimulate the stomach’s stretch receptors, they trigger signals to the brain indicating a state of fullness.
In a two-week study involving six pigs, the animals that received the vibrating capsule ate significantly less than those in the control group, resulting in reduced weight gain compared to their counterparts.
The capsule also mimicked the hormonal responses of a full stomach:
- Insulin levels increased
- Ghrelin, the hunger hormone, decreased
The research, led by biomedical engineer Shriya Srinivasan of Harvard University and gastroenterologist Giovanni Traverso of MIT, suggests that this approach could offer a noninvasive and cost-effective solution to address obesity. I don’t know if I would call a mechanical pill that I’d need to swallow non-invasive.
The researchers envision the VIBES pill being ingested about 20 to 30 minutes before each meal. So, basically, you take it 30 minutes before a meal, eat a portion of the food, and then just… poop it out later on. Despite its success in pigs, questions arise when it comes to its passage through out digestive system because well, we are not pigs… Some people have issues passing certain food, meanwhile pigs will eat and pass almost anything…
The team believes that, given the low cost of materials used in the pill’s manufacturing, it could be mass-produced for a dollar or less per pill, making it an affordable option for a global population struggling with obesity.
So, a motorized pill for less than a dollar is supposed to go through my digestive system for every meal… Talk about a nightmare waiting to happen.
As a heavy person myself, I am not a fan of weird and extreme measures to lose weight. I’ll acknowledge, however, that this has the potential to do a lot of good. There are several cases out there who could use more help to get to a healthier weight. It could be a plausible alternative for much more invasive treatments like gastric bypasses.
The issue lies in people abusing it like they abused Ozempic, a diabetes medication. People’s vanity took an important drug and turned it into a medically assisted weight-loss solution. And don’t forget how people seem comfortable giving the “adult” treatments to children…
Some pandora’s boxes need to remain glued shut.
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