[Originally published at Outsideonline.com, September 3, 2015]

On July 27, the media team at the University of Southampton, in the UK, announced results from a new study concerning a molecule researchers had dubbed Compound 14. When fed to obese mice, it triggered a startling metabolic reaction: In just seven days the rodents shed five percent of their body weight. Even more miraculous, the otherwise healthy mice thinned down while continuing to gorge on a high-fat, high-carb diet—the rodent-equivalent of ice cream and pizza—and all without doing a single bout of exercise.  Continue reading →