A drug which blocks the urge to eat can help dieters shed pounds and inches, a study suggests. Belgian researchers writing in the Lancet said people taking rimonabant lost an average of 8.6 kilograms (18.9 pounds) in a year. They also lost an average of 8.5 centimetres (over three inches) from their waists. UK experts commented that rimonabant might help people lose weight - but could not replace eating healthily. In the UK, it is estimated that one in five men and a quarter of women are obese.
