Fodmapeveryday iconFodmapeverydaySep 8, 2026 ~1 min source read

Scientists are testing a different kind of weight-loss approach—one that doesn’t suppress appetite

Today's blockbuster weight-loss medications largely pull the same powerful lever: Scientists at UC Berkeley just experimented with the other side of the equation.

Scientists are testing a different kind of weight-loss approach—one that doesn’t suppress appetite
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Today's blockbuster weight-loss medications largely pull the same powerful lever:

Scientists at UC Berkeley just experimented with the other side of the equation.

Instead of suppressing appetite, an experimental compound made obese mice burn more energy—and they lost fat without significant muscle loss.

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The useful part

Today's blockbuster weight-loss medications largely pull the same powerful lever: Scientists at UC Berkeley just experimented with the other side of the equation. Instead of suppressing appetite, an experimental compound made obese mice burn more energy—and they lost fat without significant muscle loss.

How it works

  • The compound made mice burn more energy Researchers studied a decades-old compound called 5-tetradecyloxy-2-furoic acid, mercifully shortened to TOFA.
  • Researchers also reported improvements in insulin sensitivity, blood-sugar control, triglycerides and signs of fatty […]
  • Rather than primarily reducing calorie intake, TOFA increased energy expenditure in obese mice by as much as 18% without making them eat less or exercise more.

Details worth keeping

Before anyone gets too excited, there's a very large mouse-shaped caveat:

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