There may be a way for people to lose weight without having to diet or exercise. Scientists have developed a skin patch that burns a significant amount of tummy fat in just one month.

Scientists from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have developed a new approach to reducing tummy fats. The process involves a new type of skin patch which contains hundreds of microneedles that are loaded with either the drug beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist (ADRB3) or the thyroid hormone T3 triiodothyronine.

The patch is pressed into the stomach for about two minutes, allowing the microneedles to detach and become embedded in the skin. As the needles degrade, the drug molecules are diffused into the energy-storing white fat located underneath the skin which are turned into energy-burning brown fat.

Brown fats are usually found in babies. They help keep babies warm by burning energy. However, as humans age, the amount of brown fat found in the body lessens and is replaced with visceral white fat. Excess white fat is associated with increased risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

In a study published in the November 2017 issue of Small Methods, NTU researchers tested the skin patch on mice. Despite being on a high-fat diet, the mice exposed to the new treatment were able to reduce their body fat by over 30 percent in the course of four weeks. The treated mice also had lower blood cholesterol and fatty acids compared to untreated mice.

The next phase of the study would be to conduct clinical trials in humans to see whether the scientists' initial findings can be replicated. The success of this stage would mean that the skin patch may become a viable, cost-effective method to losing weight.

"What we aim to develop is a painless patch that everyone could use easily, is unobtrusive and yet affordable. Most importantly, our solution aims to use a person's own body fats to burn more energy, which is a natural process in babies," said researcher and NTU professor Peng Chen.

The prototype skin patch had an estimated material cost of $3.50. If produced for mass consumption, it would be much cheaper than other weight-loss methods such as oral medication and surgical operations. It also does not come with side effects associated with these riskier procedures.