Students looking to lose weight as a New Year’s resolution may have new options but could also lose their sense of smell in the process.
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center aims to begin testing a new method to target obesity.
The center will temporarily block patients’ sense of smell in an attempt to get them to eat less as a part of a research study.
Pennington is conducting the study for Compellis Pharmaceuticals, a Boston biopharmaceutical company which concentrates on obesity treatments.
Dr. Frank Greenway, principal investigator in the study, said he aims to use a medication consisting of “calcium channel blockers” already used to treat high blood pressure in the development of a nasal spray.
“[The spray] is something to decrease the appetite,” Greenway said.
Greenway said because some people cannot reach the weight loss they desire through diet and exercise alone, the spray may be used to further assist them in their efforts.
Because people tend to get hungrier when they smell food, Greenway said people using the nasal spray before meals “may not want to eat as much.”
Greenway further said he believes the spray is certainly a safe and reversible way to enhance weight loss.
“We think it’s safe because it’s being used topically and not systematically,” Greenway said.
Although Greenway said he feels this should be a safe, effective way to aid weight loss, students have mixed feelings regarding disabling someone’s sense of smell to do so.
“People would prefer something like this, so they don’t have to exercise,” said Sarabeth Rivet, psychology junior. “It’s kind of crazy to alter sense. I would never do it.”
She also said it would never work in Louisiana, a state known for its exceptional food.
Other students feel that while the drug appears to be a new way to assist in weight loss, they are not sure it will work.
“It’s worth a shot,” said Sarah Trauth, psychology junior. “If it works, it’s fabulous.”
Although the drug may be successful in preventing people from smelling the food, some students think it may not prevent them from eating as much.
“You get fat at the dining hall, and that food sucks,” said John Byrne, Latin senior.
Greenway said the medication is no substitute for proper diet and regular exercise. Rather, it should be used in conjunction with them.
“Diet and exercise are certainly healthy for everyone to do,” Greenway said.
Greenway proposes that the study will begin at the end of the first quarter of 2008 and aims to complete it by the end of the year.
The study will include 120 participants.
Some patients will be given a salt water nasal spray and others will be given the medicated nasal spray and will be asked to identify certain smells.
Greenway said the medication has been successful in reducing the food intake of rats and hopes it will do the same in humans.
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Contact Ben Bourgeois at [email protected]