"The un-named drug, which is in the early stages of development, could offer an answer to the obesity crisis. Researchers who have tested it in mice say that it prevented the mice putting on weight even when they were fed a high-fat diet. The drug triggers the same fat burning process that occurs during exercise, even when the mice are not active. By kickstarting the metabolism, more calories are burnt than are consumed."

"Ronald Evans, a researcher at the Salk Institute in California said he hoped that such "metabolic trickery" would lead to new treatments for human metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol which raises the risk of heart disease and diabetes."

"He presented his findings to a conference of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Washington, yesterday."

"In earlier research, Dr Evans identified the receptor that tells cells when to burn fat, when
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