Adding water to the pill makes it swell into a large jelly-like ball
Italian scientists have developed a pill that expands in the stomach to make dieters feel full
They liken the effect to eating a bowl of spaghetti and say the pill can stop hunger for a few hours
So far it has been tested on 20 people but experts warned bigger trials would be needed to test safety
Professor Luigi Ambrosio, lead researcher on the study at Italy's National Research Council, realised when they developed the hydrogel it may have a similar effect to gastric banding - a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the stomach
It is made from an organic compound called cellulose so can break down in the body and pass through the digestive system
"One of our researchers tried the pill - he took it at about 11am and was still full at six in the evening.
"It's like eating a bowl of spaghetti."
"We expect the results of the trial in October and they we will try to launch the product in May 2008."
clipped from: news.bbc.co.uk 