Food-grade hydrogel helps reduce desire for food in obese patients

New research indicates that a first-of-its-kind, superabsorbent hydrogel significantly increased the post-meal feeling of satiety and reduced hunger between meals in obese patients.  This data will be presented Thursday, April 22, 2010 at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 19th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress.

Attiva, the first superabsorbent hydrogel composed entirely from food-grade materials, acts by swelling and taking up stomach volume.  A team of physicians administered the product to 95 normal, overweight and obese patients with an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 31.  

"For years, one of the most important goals in weight management has been the development of an effective treatment that lacks the invasiveness and side effects that surround current approaches," Hassan M. Heshmati, MD, the study's primary author said. "This marks an exciting step toward that goal."

Also at the AACE 19th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress, experts will talk about pediatric transgender issues, appropriate glycemic targets from recent trials and their translation into patient care, as well as the role of continuous glucose monitors in 2010.