Flabtastic

Although it seems to be one of those announcements that fits snugly into the 'too good to be true' category, scientists in America (where else?) say that they have succeeded in creating a pill that can get you fit without having to go to the bother of actually exercising.

So how does it work?

Well, researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered the existence of a hormone called Irisin (which exists naturally in muscles) which apparently can kick start the type of calorie-burning that most can only achieve via a regular gut busting exercise routine.

Irisin, it seems, triggers the production of ‘good fat’ or ‘brown fat’, which burns off weight and improves glucose tolerance. This type of fat naturally disappears as we get older and is replaced by ‘bad fat’ or ‘white fat’- known as a flabby waist.

With obesity levels in the U.S going through the roof, just as they are virtually everywhere else in the world, the Harvard minds believe (hope) that Irisin could form the basis of future treatments for obesity.

The research team also claims that their discovery has implications for diabetes and cancer sufferers.

“We’re not trying to replace diet and exercise. That is still important,” stressed lead researcher, Professor Bruce Spiegelman. “Whether longer treatments with Irisin and/or higher doses would cause more weight loss remains to be determined.”

Professor Spiegelman is at pains to make clear that the discovery of Irisin is not a charter for laziness or a “miracle cure” but rather a serious study into “understanding the biological mechanisms that convert physical exercise into beneficial changes in the body.”

In other words, don’t give up on your newly acquired gym membership just yet.