http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wel...0717-10f59.html

Drug helps to curb the sweet cravings
RACHEL BROWNE
July 18, 2010

AUSTRALIAN researchers have developed a drug that may combat overeating by making sweet food less pleasurable.

Michael Cowley, director of the Obesity and Diabetes Institute at Monash University, Melbourne said food stimulated the same reward pathways in the brain as drugs of addiction such as heroin and cocaine.

Professor Cowley was cautious of the term ''food addiction'', noting that a cocaine addict's reaction to the drug was about 1000 times stronger than a person's reaction to food.

However, he said that for some people food cravings were a real issue that contributed to weight problems.

''People who say they have food cravings tend to uniformly crave sweet food,'' Professor Crowley said. ''The reward pathways of their brain are activated quite strongly when they eat sugary food.''

He has developed a drug that works by changing the way the reward pathways react.

''We have developed a drug which works on those pathways,'' he said. ''People who have used it in our trials have lost weight because they feel they have better control over what they eat. It changes the way their brain reacts to foods so they feel less compelled to eat.''

The drug is being assessed by the US Food and Drug Administration, which is expected to announce in January whether or not it has been approved. If it is approved, it will be evaluated by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration for approval in Australia.

Professor Cowley stressed that the drug was not a magic bullet. He said individuals needed to take action on their diet and exercise levels, supported by federal, state and local government projects.

''There are many, many reasons why people become overweight or obese and, equally, there are many, many ways to address the problem,'' he said.

I wonder why they don't name the drug? And I wonder if it will be any better than glutamine, which works a treat for me. <shrug>

Hmmm...Australian researchers develop the drug, but the Australians won't approve it for use until the US does. Interesting.

I'm sure this drug has no unintended side effects.

L-glutamine never worked at all for me, no matter how much or when I took it. I'm not interested in taking another prescription drug, though. That's the last thing I need.

If it's the brain's reward pathways being altered, wouldn't this also reduce the pleasure of other things like favorite hobbies that are pleasant and good for you?

Could be, Zei. They have a drug like that now to help with smoking and they found people get suicidal and depressed. Probably because nothing is pleasurable.