Boffins at London University and Hammersmith Hospital have discovered that ‘obese people have lower than average levels of a hunger regulating gut hormone PYY3-36.’ Watch out for diet products in a few years time with catchy names like ‘PY Diet’ or similar.

‘All 24 volunteers ate less on the day when they received a PYY3-36 infusion compared with the placebo day. Overall PYY3-36 reduced calorific intake by a third in both the lean and obese subjects.’