Ronald Evans and his team pioneered a new type of pill that tricks the body into thinking it has consumed calories, causing it to burn fat. The compound effectively stopped weight gain, lowered cholesterol, controlled blood sugar and minimized inflammation in mice. Unlike most diet pills on the market, the new compound, called fexaramine, doesn't dissolve into the blood like appetite suppressants or caffeine-based diet drugs, but remains in the intestines, causing fewer side effects.
Details of the new compound, published in Nature Medicine, made headlines across the globe and even prompted a skit on the "Late Show with David Letterman."
Satchidananda Panda's latest work on time-restricted diet was covered by The New York Times Magazine on Sunday, January 18. His study showed that confining caloric consumption to an 8- to 12-hour period might stave off high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.
In this video, the magazine of the Association for Computing Machinery features Saket Navlakha and his work on studying and modeling biological processes. The video accompanies Navlakha's January 2015 review article.
