In the never ending quest to combat obesity and get people moving, scientists think they may have found a way to make choosing a workout on the treadmill over a night on the couch seem more appealing.  How you ask?  Well researchers in Zurich believe that it may be possible to manufacture a pill that motivates people to exercise.

The research team, from the University of Zurich in Switzerland, says the key is a brain hormone called erythropoietin (Epo). The scientists claim that when Epo was elevated in mice, it made them run around a lot harder and their hope is it will do the same for us humans.  The study’s lead author Max Gassmann says:

“Here we show that Epo increases the motivation to exercise.  Most probably, Epo has a general effect on a person’s mood and might be used in patients suffering from depression and related diseases.”

I’m not really sure how a pill would motivate anyone to workout, we already have a ton of pills on the market that try to motivate you in some way to eat right or simply just take the pill everyday and do nothing to lose weight, ands still people forget or don’t bother to take those pills (not that they work anyway), so why would this pill be any different?

According to The FASEB Journal Editor-in-Chief, Gerald Weissmann, researchers are merely trying to attack the world’s obesity problem from every conceivable angle:

“If you can’t put exercise in a pill, then maybe you can put the motivation to exercise in a pill instead.  As more and more people become overweight and obese, we must attack the problem from all angles.  Maybe the day will come when gyms are as easily found as fast food restaurants.”

Personally I think such a pill will end up becoming just another get fit quick scheme that will come and go.  If you’re not motivated to lose weight on your own, I doubt a pill will do anything to help you.

What do you think about the creation of an exercise pill?  Would you take it?  How do you motivate yourself to workout?

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3 Comments

  1. What’s the diff b/t these pills and any other energy pill/drink?

  2. Apple Of HIS Eye

    It ain’t no different than popping pills. Exercise/weight loss drugs are marketed as healthy but are basic caffeine. I’d rather do the Dew before popping these non regulated pills

  3. that picture just grosses me out

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