In what may come as welcome news for the pathologically obese, researchers have now discovered that leptin, an enzyme which is responsible for making one feel full could act as an appetite suppressant and help people lose weight.

Leptin, the secretion of which decreases during fasting periods and rises again when one is eating, can be administered intravenously into persons to help reduce their appetite by making them feel full.

The pill which is being developed based on a discovery at the Université de Montréal that leptin is not secreted by the fatty tissues alone, when taken orally could be an effective weight loss measure.

According to Moise Bendayan, a pathology professor with the the Universite de Montreal Faculty of Medicine, “From the first bite of any meal, leptin levels skyrocket in the bloodstream. Yet this has nothing to do with the leptin stored in the fatty tissues. In the lab, we proved that up to 80 percent of cells in our stomach also produce leptin. Those are the ones that regulate appetite”.