According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about a third of Americans are obese. But if Americans are getting heavier, it's not for a lack of trying to stay slim. People in the United States spend an estimated $30 billion each year on diet pills, diet foods, videos, health clubs, and other tools to help them lose weight [ref].
The quest for a quick and easy weight loss fix has kept scientists in laboratories all over the world busy for decades. Recently, a company in Switzerland has announced that it may have a novel solution: a fat vaccine. Unlike vaccines for polio and the flu, which ward off disease, the fat vaccine would treat obesity. But could a vaccine really help people shed pounds?
In this article, we'll look at the "fat vaccine," see how it might work, and find out whether it could be the long sought after solution to an expanding waistline.