Coming soon: 'fat-busting' pill sans side effects

In order to address the global obesity epidemic, scientists are now developing a new class of compounds that could prevent fat particles from getting absorbed in the body and reduce weight gain.

With the development of compounds called micelle sequestrant polymers or MSPs, researchers from the American Chemical Society have also alarmed that the worldwide obesity rates have been climbing for years.

Treatments for overweight and obesity include diet and exercise, surgery and prescription medications but currently available drugs could have serious side effects, including increased risk of cardiovascular disease and depression.

Therefore lead researcher Cory Berkland found out new kinds of pharmaceuticals to fight weight gain.

Targeting the body's process of absorbing fat, the researchers have designed a class of polymers that capture fat particles called micelles in the intestines so they can't be digested and pass through the gut and are excreted.

The research is published in the journal Biomacromolecules.