Food for thought after 'hunger hormone' found

Scientists have discovered the natural "hunger hormone", which suppresses appetite and cuts the amount of food a person eats by a third.

The identification of the hormone, which tells the brain the body has had enough to eat, may lead to a pill or an injection to treat obesity within five years.

Volunteers injected with the hormone – PYY3-36 – found it made them feel full after eating a fraction of the normal amount. The effect lasted 12 hours, research published today in the journal Nature reveals.

Stephen Bloom, professor of endocrinology at Imperial College and at the Hammersmith Hospital in London, said the discovery could lead to new ways of treating Britain's obesity epidemic. "What we've found now is the hormone for satiety. It turns out to be dramatically effective and it works for both men and women," Professor Bloom said.

The hormone is normally released from the cells of the large intestine after a meal. It is carried in the blood to the "appetite centre" of the brain, where it triggers feelings of being full.

"It may be possible to identify foods which cause the release of more PYY3-36, helping to naturally limit appetite, or it may be possible to create a tablet with a similar effect, providing an excellent, natural and safe long-term treatment for obesity," Professor Bloom said.

He added that clinical trials taking at least four more years would be needed before the hormone could be considered safe for general use.