Stanford University scientists have discovered a potential new weapon in the battle of the bulge: a hormone that reduces the urge to eat.

It is the latest hope in the frustrating quest for the elusive perfect diet pill. With obesity rates soaring in the United States, there is great demand for new and better medicines to aid weight loss.

The newly found hormone, called obestatin, has been tested only in slender mice, not fat people. So it is not known if the discovery by Dr. Aaron J.W. Hsueh and his team will ever translate into a useful medication.

Read more about the research on an appetite suppressant hormone that could lead to a new diet drug.