Hibernation Weight Loss Diets--The Next Big Thing?

Dr. Cheng Chi Lee at UT Houston Medical School, hopes that patenting this novel weight loss method will bring him good fortune.

The idea comes on the back of his team's discovery that the chemical 5-adenosine monophosphate, or 5-AMP, induces a state of torpor in mice, which do not usually hibernate. Lee says that a capsule or injection of 5-AMP could induce a similar state in humans, and the accompanying metabolic changes could help treat a range of conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and eating disorders.

Impact Lab
Subcutaneous implants of 5-AMP might be priced according to the length of time the person would hibernate, with discount pricing for longer sleeps. A $5,000 sleep (to lose 50#) may last for six months, while to sleep ten years (to lose 500# or more) may cost as little as $30,000 or more. A flexible payment plan would facilitate paying out of pocket. The cost of long term care would be additional, of course.

A loving husband or wife might give a spouse the gift of hibernation--the more the spouse is loved, the longer the hibernation.

Why take the risk of undergoing bariatric surgery, when sleep--the most natural state in the world--will work as well, given time? Losing weight is often referred to as hard work, so many employers may choose to pay a person's regular salary while they are hibernating. In many cases, the employee's work output may not change. Or the employer may choose to pay for hibernation in lieu of fighting a costly wrongful termination lawsuit.

Humans have been curious about hibernating animals ever since becoming aware of the phenomenon. Soon, they may have a good reason to live the experience first hand.