Can you really lose weight by just sitting around binge-watching TV?

This seems to be the answer to every overweight couch potato’s prayer: a workout pill. The idea of merely popping a pill and then sitting around binge-watching TV as the kilos melt away would be irresistible, especially for those who consider gyms a mindless, sweaty waste of time, not to mention expensive.

They should, therefore, congratulate the scientists in Britain who have apparently developed a compound that mimics the effects of exercise by inhibiting the function of a certain enzyme that leads to the build-up of a molecule. That in turn tricks cells into thinking they are running out of energy and prompting them to increase glucose and oxygen uptake. Pretty neat. Of course, the stated noble intention of the compound is to help those afflicted with type 2 diabetes —and concomitant obesity, but obviously, its debut will be hailed by all manner of exercise-averse people.

It must be remembered, however, that just because overweight mice responded to the compound positively does not mean humans will have exactly the same reaction. However, as teams of scientists elsewhere are also working on other workout pills — including ones that increase muscle tone besides decreasing sugar levels and fat — couch potatoes can contemplate a happy future when they can have their cake, eat it and lose the adipose, too.