MIT's Vibrating Pill for Obesity Cheaper, Less Invasive Than Weight-Loss Surgery—Here's How It Works

A new vibrating pill for treating obesity is now being developed. Scientists and health experts behind this new weight-loss treatment expect their product to be cheaper and less invasive than surgeries.

Most prescription weight-loss drugs that are available to the public work by making people feel fuller or less hungry. This helps them eat less to avoid obesity (make them eat less if they are already overweight). However, one of the main problems with these medicines is that they tend to have side effects that can lead to other health complications.

Meanwhile, traditional surgeries for obesity also work in the same way. However, these methods are quite invasive since they involve limiting the stomach capacity. Now, MIT's new anti-obesity vibrating pill aims to remove invasiveness, as well as become a cheaper option for overweight people. Here's what you need to know about it.

MIT Works on New Vibrating Pill for Obesity!

Vibrating Pill for Obesity Cheaper, Less Invasive Than Weight-Loss Surgery—Here's How It Works

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A man stands at a bus stop in Manchester, in north-west England, 10 October 2006. The United Kingdom is the fattest country in Europe, according to the BBC, based on a new study of obesity rates in England to be released Tuesday.

According to New Scientist's latest report, the new vibrating pill for obesity that MIT experts are working on could have fewer side effects than weight-loss drugs, become a more affordable option, and be less invasive.

MIT News reported that the anti-obesity pill works by vibrating within the stomach after getting ingested by people. This new product is the same size as a standard multivitamin, meaning that it can easily be ingested.

Thanks to the efforts and expertise of involved MIT researchers, they were able to house a vibrating motor inside the very small capsule. This motor is powered by a small silver oxide battery.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology said that consumers have nothing to worry about since the silver oxide battery is safe to swallow.

Once the anti-obesity vibrating capsule is ingested, it will make its way to the gut. After that, the gastric acid will dissolve its outer layer, causing an electronic circuit to close.

When the electronic circuit closes, the motor will start vibrating. MIT engineers explained that vibrations generated by the tiny motor will activate the same stretch receptors that sense when the stomach is distended.

Thanks to this, the human body will have an illusory sense of fullness, making you and other people eat less. But, is it really efficient?

Is Anti-Obesity Vibrating Pill Effective?

Vibrating Pill for Obesity Cheaper, Less Invasive Than Weight-Loss Surgery—Here's How It Works

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A sign on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology on July 08, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard and MIT have sued the Trump administration for its decision to strip international college students of their visas if all of their courses are held online.

MIT's researchers said that their new anti-obesity vibrating pill was already tested in animals. Their animal test subjects were given the capsule 20 minutes before eating.

Based on their findings, the capsule stimulated hormone releases, which signal satiety, as well as reduced their food intake by 40%. Involed health experts said that they still need to study the mechanisms of their capsule on human body weight.

Although MIT needs further research to ensure that the new vibrating pill is safe for human consumption, recent studies already suggested that this kind of technology is safe for people.

"This could be really interesting in that it would provide an option that could minimize the side effects that we see with the other pharmacological treatments out there," said ex-MIT postdoc Shriya Srinivasan PhD, who is now a Harvard University bioengineering professor.