Nappy diet pill in tests, but hard for experts to stomach

A NEW diet pill made from nappy material is as filling as a plate of pasta, according to its creators.

Scientists working on the development of a new nappy liner found that a highly absorbent compound had expanded up to 1,000 times its original size when combined with water.

The cellulose-based pill is washed down with two glasses of water, creating a tennis ball-sized lump in the stomach that makes dieters feel full.

The Italian scientists who developed the pill said it created the same sensation as that felt after eating a plate of pasta.

The pill was tested on 20 people for a month last year and is being tested on a further 90 at the Policlinico Gemelli Hospital in Rome, with results due in October.

Its creators hope the pill will be available in May next year.

Margot Brennan of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute said cellulose, found in the wall of all plants, was relatively harmless and was used as the main ingredient in a lot of diet pills.

Her main concern, however, is that the industry is not regulated. While cellulose-based pills were relatively harmless, there were diet pills available over the internet that often contained substances that were banned here, she warned.

“The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to make small long-term changes to your diet and lifestyle,” she stressed.

She said that eating a lot of fruit and vegetables would produce a similar effect as a cellulose-based pill along with having an added health benefit.

Ms Brennan also warned that people who went on crash diets put on more weight when they went back to eating normally, because a body’s survival mechanism clicked in, slowing down the rate at which it burned calories.

“Fad diets make you fatter. It is an absolute fact of life,” she stressed.

Dr John Griffin, medical director of the Eating Disorders Programme at St Patrick’s Hospital, believes diet pills are dangerous and encourage eating disorders.

And, he said, those wanting to embark on an eating plan should always consult their doctor first.

“He or she will sit down and work out an eating plan for you,” he stressed.