Couch potato mice stay slim on high-fat diet

A natural cannabis-like chemical in the brain may hold the key to keeping couch potatoes slim, early research suggests.

Scientists in the US found that blocking the compound allowed mice to gorge on high fat food and take little exercise without putting on weight or becoming unhealthy.

The genetically modified animals produced limited amounts of the endocannabinoid 2-AG, a chemical related to the active ingredient in cannabis.

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All mammalian brains, including those of humans, contain 2-AG, which is believed to control neural circuits involved in metabolism.

“We discovered that these mice were resistant to obesity because they burned fat calories much more efficiently than normal mice do,” said study leader Professor Daniele Piomelli, from the University of California at Irvine.

The mice stayed slim because they developed a hyperactive form of “brown fat” – a special type of fat that generates heat and keeps animals warm.

Not only did they not gain weight when fed a high-fat diet, but they failed to develop any of signs such as obesity and high blood pressure.

But the scientists say they are not yet able to create a drug that blocks 2-AG production in the brain.