British scientists said on Monday they had developed a new treatment that could help obese and overweight people lose weight by making them feel full.Researchers at Imperial College London believe the treatment, an injection of a natural digestive hormone called oxyntomodulin that is released in the small intestine, could help to stem the world’s growing obesity epidemic."The discovery that oxyntomodulin can be effective in reducing weight could be an important step in tackling the rising levels of obesity in society,” said Professor Steve Bloom, who headed the research team.The injection switches off the appetite so people eat less.In a four-week trial of 26 people, volunteers who were given three injections of the treatment each day 30 minutes before meals lost an average of 2.3 kilos (5 lb). A control group that had dummy injections lost about half a kilo (1 lb).Patients had no side effects from the treatment.
