Not qualified as a drug, it will be sold without prescription in April

Jan 6, 2009 09:46 GMT  ·  By
Appesat, the diet pill that swells in the stomach, will go on sale over the counter in April
   Appesat, the diet pill that swells in the stomach, will go on sale over the counter in April

Talk of the obesity rate reaching heights never even suspected before, with estimations that it will go even further than what it is now, has held most headlines these recent few days. Appesat, the pill that expands in the stomach, tricking it into believing that it is full, without even entering the bloodstream, is just one of the first methods to lower the obesity rate, governmental authorities believe, approving it for sale over the counter in April.

Appesat works in a very simple way, like a gastric balloon, impacting on the body as little as possible. Since it contains no chemicals, it influences or interferes with no natural process, so it does not qualify as a drug. The only thing that it does is that it expands to several times its size when taken with plenty of water, and presses on the stomach wall, tricking it (and the brain) into thinking it is full.

This way, if taken one hour before each meal, the dieter will eat considerably less and feel fuller faster than without it. A few hours later, the pill is broken down by the acid in the stomach, and then eliminated as waste – and it does not even enter the bloodstream, which is a major plus the manufacturing company is betting on. A few days or months after continuous use, the dieter can stop taking the pill, now that they have grown accustomed to eating less than they did before. 

Made from a plant extract from laminaria digitata, Appesat has already been tested with amazing results. One 29-year-old mom from Sussex lost almost nine pounds in four weeks, testifying that Appesat has changed her life in ways she couldn’t even imagine. “I feel full much more quickly. I don’t have room for puddings any more, or snacks between meals. The idea is you use Appesat to retrain your appetite, and then you stop. It’s not a permanent course of pills. I’ve got to get out of the habit of eating large meals.” she tells the Daily Mail.

Appesat costs £29.95 for 50 capsules, and will be found over the counter in pharmacies in April.