Study Uncovers New Treatment for Obesity

It’s no secret that obesity is a growing problem in the United States. For the first time in history, the national rate has passed the 40 percent mark, currently standing at 42.4 percent, according to TFAH. But a new treatment has shown some promise in animal models – ultrasound liver stimulation. 

The research, recently published in Scientific Reports, “builds on previous evidence that stimulation of the gastrointestinal tract could improve weight loss and treat obesity,” according to IFLScience.com. For this particular study, 60 mice were fed a more traditionally “Western diet” of high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods and then either stimulated with peripheral focused ultrasound or sham stimulation. They found daily stimulation not only significantly reduced body weight, but also reduced the rate at which mice put on weight and how much they ate. 

“Obesity has been increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, and with it, many dangerous comorbidities including diabetes, heart disease, cognitive decline and even some cancers,” Victoria Cotero, Senior scientist in the Biosciences Group at GE Research and author of the study, wrote in an email to IFLScience.

“By addressing the core problem behind obesity, we could provide a non-invasive, drug-free treatment for obesity and associated conditions that spares the patient from developing these chronic conditions and significantly improve their overall quality of life.” Currently there are no non-invasive and effective treatments.