According to Compellis Pharmaceuticals, soon you could spray away extra poundage.

The Boston company has been issued an initial patent to test a new nasal spray. But this spray has nothing to do with sinus conditions. The spray will block the senses of taste and smell.

The theory is that you can’t crave what you can’t smell or taste. The spray is a calcium channel blocker that would block the sense of smell. I suppose that if you reduce the pleasure of taste then foods become less appealing and the user consumes less.

But we are also visual creatures and not all food triggers stem from being able to smell the aroma. Sensory memories, memories that associate certain foods with feelings of well-being or foods that remind us of good times, these cravings come from deeper within us. Personally, I think I can gain weight just looking at the pictures of desserts in magazines. And what about chocolate? The craving for chocolate is almost certainly a survival strategy that nature built into women.

The company will begin testing the nasal spray on people next year.

Read the article in The Boston Globe