The little diet pill that will leave you as stuffed as spaghetti

The pill expands by more than 1,000 times when combined with water - making dieters feel full
12 April 2012

A tiny pill that swells to the size of a tennis ball in the stomach is being touted as a cure for obesity.

The pill contains an absorbent substance which expands by more than 1,000 times when combined with water - making dieters feel full.

Its creators, who discovered the absorbent ingredient while testing materials for nappy linings, liken the sensation to "eating a nice plate of spaghetti".

The as yet unnamed pill was tested on just 20 subjects last month and the results of further trials are not due until October.

But the team behind it from the Institute for Composite and Biomedical Materials at Italy's National Research Council claim it will be on the market by May next year.

Experts remain unconvinced, however, warning that the pill - which also contains the indigestible fibre cellulose - could delay the emptying of the stomach and damage its lining.

Any slow-down in the progress of food through the gut also increases the risk of stomach and bowel cancers.

Experts predict that 12.6million Britons will be classed as obese by 2010.

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