BLUBBER-BATTLING BREAKTHROUGH!

ABLUBBER-banishing protein that prevents fat buildup and reduces blood sugar levels has been found — and it may be turned into a pill that could cut worldwide obesity rates!

Scientists say the protein, called BAM15, makes the body burn through more calories, and it’s proven to prevent weight gain from gorging on fatty and sugary foods.

In lab trials, scientists found mice given BAM15 were resistant to weight gain because they burned more calories than untreated mice.

BAM15 could be administered as an injection or pill, and used to treat a number of health conditions, including diabetes, fatty liver disease and some forms of cancer, which can all be caused by obesity.

Global spending to treat obesity and obesity-related illnesses amounts to well over $150 billion a year.

A few medications for obesity treatment are approved by the FDA, but people taking them “rarely achieve long-term weight loss,” says Dr. John Kirwan, executive director of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. “Halting the obesity epidemic requires new, more effective medications.

“We hope that in the not-toodistant future, BAM15 or related compounds will advance to clinical drug development and become a viable treatment option for patients with obesity.”