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

美国科学家正在研发一种“装有虚拟食物”的药丸。

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

这种药丸能在体内制造已食用大量卡路里的假象，让身体误以为你已经吃下大量食物。

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

减肥者经常幻想能有一种让自己既可以继续大快朵颐又不怕长肉的神药，如今这种幻想将成现实。

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

这种药不但能够骗过身体，让它以为你已经吃过了，还能降低胆固醇和血糖含量。

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

罗纳德·埃万斯(Ronald Evans)是该药的研究者，他表示：“这种药丸就像一盘虚拟的大餐。

'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。

“它在人体内发出了与食用大量食物后同样的信号，于是身体开始准备清出空间存放它。

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

“但胃里实际上没有卡路里，人的食欲也没有变化。”

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

英国医学界认为美国的这项突破会带来巨大作用——但同时提醒这项工作还需投入大量努力。

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

面对全世界这种越来越不受控制的肥胖问题，该研究应运而生。

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。

肥胖症已经成为全球性的流行疾病，据世界卫生组织统计，每年至少有280万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%的糖尿病负担、23%的缺血性心脏病负担以及7%至41%的某些癌症负担可归因于超重和肥胖。

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种减肥药，越来越多的人选择最原始的办法：外科手术。

The excitement surrounds a new medicine called fexaramine。

这种令人兴奋的药丸与一种名为fexaramine的药物有关。

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

经试验，fexaramine能让食用富含高脂肪食物的肥胖老鼠不再长胖。

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

它可以促进脂肪燃烧，降低阻塞动脉的胆固醇，将血糖水平降至可控范围。

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

它还能加速新陈代谢，将腰部多余而有害的白色脂肪转化为健康的棕色脂肪。

Remarkably, it did all this without affecting appetite。

值得一提的是，fexaramine是在不影响食欲的前提下实现上述药效的。

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

如果这种药能在人体内得到良好运用，可能意味着肥胖者可以不改变饮食习惯的情况下将体重保持在可控范围。

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

它甚至能让你在大吃薯条、蛋糕等高脂肪食物的情况下依旧保持苗条身材。

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

加利福尼亚州索尔克生物研究所(Salk Institute)的埃万斯教授表示，fexaramine的工作原理类似于让人体误认为已食用一大份食物。

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

当fexaramine进入胃部时，胃会立即开始消化工作。

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

Fexaramine还会刺激身体开始燃烧脂肪以腾出空间放置进入体内的营养物质。

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。

这种药只停留在胃部，不会进入血液循环，因此带来副作用的风险的较小。