2428 Nasal Solution

As I've mentioned in earlier essays, every now and then I'll be reading through the news and find something that I find curious.  Some twist on established fact or maybe something entirely new.

I don't mean opinion facts like "conservatives are stubborn and liberals are flexible."  Or that "conservatives are steadfast and liberals are wishy-washy."  I'm used to opinions being emphasized into fact status with the use of spin doctor language.

I mean things like nasal sprays being used to cure obesity.

That's the conclusion of a certain group of researchers.  And it's not just any old nasal spray, it's a nasal spray laced with oxytocin.  Not oxycontin, the addictive drug that undermined Rush Limbaugh's steadfastness against drug abuse; oxytocin, widely known as the chemical of love.

Oxytocin is a hormone produced by the human body in response to feelings of love.  It's also found in breast milk and helps with the bonding of mother and child.  It's triggered by acts of intimacy of every level, including holding hands.  It makes you feel good.

According to recent research, it can also kill your appetite.  After researchers sprayed a fluid containing oxytocin in male volunteers' noses, they ate less at a subsequent meal.  They also showed certain metabolic changes, like clearing glucose from their bloodstream. 

Scientists don't know if this works with females too.  They aren't sure why it works at all.  I hope it's not something really simple like maybe oxytocin kills your sense of smell, making food less appetizing. 

It would be even cooler if just increasing your oxytocin levels would make you shuck pounds.  And that the cure to obesity may be something even more simple.  Like more intimacy. 

Honey, I need to lose some weight.  So could we, um, hold hands?

America, ya gotta love it.