Forty years ago, the advent of the Pill freed lovers from the fear of unwanted pregnancy. So why not a pill that would free foodies from the fear of getting fat? You can buy diet pills today, of course, but they work by suppressing appetite, and that's a lot less fun than simply sidestepping the consequences of gluttony. After all, sitting down to a banquet when all you can stomach is a boiled egg is like going to bed with Brad (or Jennifer) when your only desire is to sleep. Surely there must be a way to let you enjoy your food without piling on the weight. Whoever develops a pill to do that will earn billions. According to a report last year by the National Audit Office, nearly two-thirds of men and more than half of women in England are either overweight or obese. The annual cost is horrifying: 30,000 premature deaths, at least half a billion pounds for treatment, and possibly a further ￡2 billion of indirect losses to the economy. Not surprisingly, a market like that has got several drugs companies sniffing around with great interest, though none has a drug ready for commercial distribution yet.
展开▼
