Discovery Could Lead To An Exercise Pill

[Gahars]

So obesity, right? I mean, what's up with that? Let me tell you, I once knew a lady who was so fat, she was bigger than my great grandmother. Some world we're living in. But I digress...

Researchers have discovered a natural hormone that acts like exercise on muscle tissue—burning calories, improving insulin processing, and perhaps boosting strength. The scientists hope it could eventually be used as a treatment for obesity, diabetes, and, potentially, neuromuscular diseases like muscular dystrophy...

Mice given irisin lost a few grams in the first 10 days after treatment, the study shows, and certain genes involved in powering the cell were turned on. Irisin also appeared to reduce the damage done by a high-fat diet, protecting mice against diet-induced obesity and diabetes, according to the paper, whose first author is postdoctoral fellow Pontus Boström.

Source: Technology Review

The article goes on to mention that there may be some obstacles to getting this out there for human use, but the potential is certainly there. Those suffering from one of the listed ailments could definitely benefit from the effects of the hormone, but it could easily be useful for everyone else, too. After all, many people find it difficult to get enough physical activity on top of a heavy work load; with a pill like this, the body could (at the very least) somewhat compensate for that. We might have a path to a fitter, more physically capable population, and to find it, one would only have to take a trip to the pharmacy.

...Or maybe people will use this hormone for a quick and easy way to resemble Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime.

Spoiler

Pictured: The New Obesity

You might want to hold off on getting your hopes up for a world inhabited by herculean supermen, though. It's going to be a long, long time before it reaches the market (if it even passes human testing), so you shouldn't cut out all physical activity just yet.

Wait, we're on the internet. I guess that warning came too little, too late, huh?

No, no, I kid, I kid. Wow, what a terrific audience.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

While it's great that they have found something like this, I find it sad that there are a fair amount of people who need this.

Also, inb4 non-US countries calling US citizens fat.

 

[Jennyfurr]

Well if it makes people healthier.. then I don't see why not ;P I know a lot of people would probably think "well if they are too lazy to get in shape they shouldn't just get an easy way out" though. I excercise because I want to, but I'd still want other people to be healthy even if they don't want to work for it, lol.

 

[Celice]

The muscular dystrophy part is incredibly interesting to me, because my brother has Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy. I really hope research into it pays off, because so many people affected by the disease would actually have a chance at a long life, which they otherwise have been robbed of.

 

[shakirmoledina]

it would be a great blessing for the challenged but not for the lazy. thats just gonna be bad.
so i can meet up saturday night, eat pizza, play games, sleep around lazily, and send home ppl with this pill? terrible!

 

[Nathan Drake]

Remember guys, this doesn't say it will remove plaque buildup from your arteries. You still put yourself at risk of heart attack and stroke by eating an unhealthy diet, whether this pill were existent for human use or not. A handful of ailments may be eliminated, but I fear this may lead people to take advantage and instead cause a jump in the likes of heart disease.

 

[.Chris]

Great. More of a reason for people being lazy. There will be alot of people who might use this pill, but I'm guess that they will need to exercise as well.

EDIT: ninja'd ^

 

[Vulpes Abnocto]

(To be read in the voice of Cave Johnson)

Side effects of Exernol® may include but are not limited to: nausea, dizziness, fainting, swelling of the breasts, development of extra genitals, excessive gambling, acid reflux, paranoia, the ability to smell sounds, phenomenal cosmic power, teeny tiny living space, funny walks, a general sense of apathy, depression, thoughts of suicide, erectile dysfunction, priapism, heart murmur, wheezing, an unsupressible desire to kill, late night cravings for brains, yellowing of the skin and eyes, hair loss, maniacal laughter, horn growth, spontaneous pregnancy, human combustion, diarrhea, night sweats, menopause, sensitivity to sunlight, aversion to water, speaking in tongues, projectile flatulence, growth of wing-like protrusions on the back, restless leg syndrome, and death.

But we have pills to fix the death.

So be sure to take those.

 

[Jamstruth]

If this works it should be on prescription only. Only for the worst cases of obesity. Most of the time people got themselves to that state but it doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to fast forward the reverse process a little bit if they're committed. I think messing with this hormone is bound to have weird metabolism side effects and possibly others. Its early days for the research though.

Also, anybody else just find body builders grotesque? That photo of Arny nearly made me puke.

 

[Jakob95]

I hope this never gets into the market. People are already too lazy, and this will make us worse.

 

[Celice]

I don't know how anyone can call anyone else lazy, without have skewed perceptions by themselves being told what's "normal." Which is in itself a form of laziness.

 

[Gahars]

I hope this never gets into the market. People are already too lazy, and this will make us worse.

So those with diabetes and muscular dystrophy should suffer because this might make some people lazier?

 

[Jakob95]

I hope this never gets into the market. People are already too lazy, and this will make us worse.

So those with diabetes and muscular dystrophy should suffer because this might make some people lazier?

Make it be available for medical purposes only I guess.

 

[celeron53]

I think people would still find loop holes to get the pills, even if it was for medical purposes only. Kind of like marijuana, it's suppose to be used for
medical purposes only, but... people who do not have the medical reason still have them.
Just my two cents.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I don't really see what's so wrong about selling this as a mass market product. Sure, maybe it makes us "lazier", but there are people out there who want to get fit or stay fit but don't have the time, effort, or funds to do so. Like say for example I'm a college student. Most of my time is spent on work and school and money isn't good enough to afford a healthy diet or gym membership, plus I don't have time for exercise anyway. Why can't I just pop a pill every day to keep me fit so that all the cheap food I'll be essentially limited to won't start packing on? Well, provided the pill isn't outrageously expensive. Still, the situation would work for anyway whose too busy to worry about a healthy diet or working out.

There's also of course the side effects and whether this will work as well as a workout. Some people may want to skip the hazards of this and just start dieting and exercising. Some people find exercising to be therapeutic or a good stress reliever and more can come out of a good diet than just looking good. And of course some people are into the whole "all natural" thing and want to avoid as much medication and drugs as they can in their life.

It's certainly not something that would make the world significantly lazier than it is, if anything it could help solve issues we (particularly Americans) face in terms of obesity. Making life a bit more convenient is certainly not a bad thing.

 

[purplesludge]

I have to agree with Nathan Drake and that this will only make some problems worse. What there is a magic pill that will make me healthy and I can do whatever I want. Increased rate of strokes, heart attacks, and organ failure.

 

[Bladexdsl]

just what all the fat shits need now they could stuff their face still, sit around and lose weight

 

[Gahars]

I hope this never gets into the market. People are already too lazy, and this will make us worse.

So those with diabetes and muscular dystrophy should suffer because this might make some people lazier?

Make it be available for medical purposes only I guess.

How is a drug that makes your bodier healthier not inherently for "medical purposes"?

And going along with what Guild said, physically inactive people are going to be physically inactive no matter what; we might as well have them be fit physically inactive people. Considering how much obesity taxes our healthcare system, anything that could make the population on a whole healthier would be a great help.

Plus, who has the right to deprive the world of a valuable, potentially life enhancing revolution in science because it could hypothetically make some people lazy? And if you're so determined to get rid of "laziness" in society, why stop there? What about cars, wheelchairs, cell phones, etc.? We can just take a torch to all our technological progress and return to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle; it may be difficult, but at least those that manage to survive will be in decent shape.

 

[BORTZ]

i like the part where obesity is a disease.

 

[DSGamer64]

Well if it makes people healthier.. then I don't see why not ;P I know a lot of people would probably think "well if they are too lazy to get in shape they shouldn't just get an easy way out" though. I excercise because I want to, but I'd still want other people to be healthy even if they don't want to work for it, lol.

Unfortunately for a lot of people, it's not the fact that they are too lazy, it's other issues that cause them to struggle with exercising. I am one of those people. While I am certainly not in the realm of obese, I am not a skinny guy either, but then again I'd rather not look like some anorexic dude. I could afford to lose weight, because I have several muscular ailments that make it a struggle to exercise. Between the heel spurs and the knee and shoulder pain, I personally struggle with fitness. I push myself and have lost some weight, but sometimes it's really hard to lose the optimal amount of weight.

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