Newly discovered hormone may aid weight loss

As the major funder, drug company Johnson & Johnson owns the rights to the study and any drug that could result from it. But it appears that obestatin would not be effective in a pill format and would need to be taken as an injection or a nose spray.

Another concern with the substance is that the weight lost in subjects did not appear to be from fat and may have been muscle. That wouldn't do much good for obese patients.

The search goes on, but there are established ways to control weight gain -- sadly, none of them come in pill form. Simple thermodymics plays an important role -- if you consume more calories than you burn, weight will be gained.

Exercise, and the types of food consumed (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean white meat) are also incredibly important factors in your overall health. More and more research proves that obesity is a killer. That same research has yet to turn up a magic cure. Prevention is, in this case, the best bet.