A drug dubbed an 'imaginary meal in a pill' is being developed by scientists.

美國科學家正在研發一種“裝有虛擬食物”的藥丸。

The pill tricks the body into thinking it has consumed a large amount of calories - as if you have just eaten a substantial meal.

這種藥丸能在體內制造已食用大量卡路里的假象，讓身體誤以為你已經吃下大量食物。

The dieter's dream, it would allow them to continue to enjoy fatty foods without putting on weight.

減肥者經常幻想能有一種讓自己既可以繼續大快朵頤又不怕長肉的神藥，如今這種幻想將成現實。

The drug, which tricks the body into believing it has eaten, also cuts cholesterol and keeps blood sugar levels under control.

這種藥不但能夠騙過身體，讓它以為你已經吃過了，還能降低膽固醇和血糖含量。

Researcher Ronald Evans said: 'This pill is like an imaginary meal.

羅納德·埃萬斯（Ronald Evans）是該藥的研究者，他表示：“這種藥丸就像一盤虛擬的大餐。

'It sends out the same signals that normally happen when you eat a lot of food, so the body starts clearing out space to store it.

“它在人體內發出了與食用大量食物后同樣的信號，于是身體開始準備清出空間存放它。

'But there are no calories and no change in appetite.'

“但胃里實際上沒有卡路里，人的食欲也沒有變化。”

British doctors described the US breakthrough as potentially of great importance – but cautioned that much more work needs to be done.

英國醫學界認為美國的這項突破會帶來巨大作用——但同時提醒這項工作還需投入大量努力。

The research comes amid growing concern that the world is losing the battle against obesity.

面對全世界這種越來越不受控制的肥胖問題，該研究應運而生。

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese, according to the World Health Organisation.

肥胖癥已經成為全球性的流行疾病，據世界衛生組織統計，每年至少有280萬人因超重或肥胖而死亡。

It warns 44 per cent of the diabetes burden, 23 per cent of the heart disease burden and between 7 per cent and 41 per cent of the burden of certain cancers are attributable to people being overweight or obese.

44%的糖尿病負擔、23%的缺血性心臟病負擔以及7%至41%的某些癌癥負擔可歸因于超重和肥胖。

And with just one diet drug on the market, growing numbers of people are restoring to going under the surgeon's knife.

而由于市面上只有一種減肥藥，越來越多的人選擇最原始的辦法：外科手術。

The excitement surrounds a new medicine called fexaramine.

這種令人興奮的藥丸與一種名為fexaramine的藥物有關。

Given to obese mice fed fatty food, it stopped them from piling on the pounds.

經試驗，fexaramine能讓食用富含高脂肪食物的肥胖老鼠不再長胖。

Fat was burnt off, levels of artery-clogging cholesterol fell and blood sugar levels were better controlled.

它可以促進脂肪燃燒，降低阻塞動脈的膽固醇，將血糖水平降至可控范圍。

The drug also sped up metabolism and turned harmful white fat that wobbles around the waist into healthy brown fat.

它還能加速新陳代謝，將腰部多余而有害的白色脂肪轉化為健康的棕色脂肪。

Remarkably, it did all this without affecting appetite.

值得一提的是，fexaramine是在不影響食欲的前提下實現上述藥效的。

If the drug worked as well in people, it might mean could keep their weight under control while eating just as much as usual.

如果這種藥能在人體內得到良好運用，可能意味著肥胖者可以不改變飲食習慣的情況下將體重保持在可控范圍。

They may even be able to keep trim while feasting on chips, cakes and other fatty foods.

它甚至能讓你在大吃薯條、蛋糕等高脂肪食物的情況下依舊保持苗條身材。

Professor Evans, of the Salk Institute in California, said that fexaramine works by making the body believe it has eaten a big meal.

加利福尼亞州索爾克生物研究所（Salk Institute）的埃萬斯教授表示，fexaramine的工作原理類似于讓人體誤認為已食用一大份食物。

When the drug hits the stomach, it kick-starts digestion.

當fexaramine進入胃部時，胃會立即開始消化工作。

Fexaramine also spurs the body into burning off fat to create space to store the incoming nutrients.

Fexaramine還會刺激身體開始燃燒脂肪以騰出空間放置進入體內的營養物質。

The medicine doesn't pass into the bloodstream and circulate round the body but stays in the stomach, which should cut the risk of side-effects.

這種藥只停留在胃部，不會進入血液循環，因此帶來副作用的風險的較小。

（翻譯：佳木China 編輯：祝興媛）