University of Birmingham - Eat yourself thin

An edible gel developed by chemical engineers could aid the fight against obesity by curbing people's appetites. Scientists at the University of Birmingham's School of Chemical Engineering have developed an aqueous solution formulated using a pH-sensitive hydrocolloid. The solution uses the body's natural process of digestion to structure itself into a gel. Fotis Spyropoulos, senior research fellow at the school, who is working on the project, said: "We are now working on a key element of the formulation - how to get it to release energy slowly. This is a crucial part of our work, since people would feel unhappy having a full stomach but no reward in terms of energy."