Medical researchers in Sydney say that they have developed a weight loss drug which could change the way the body uses fat.

Scientists from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research say that the new drug can control weight gain in mice by stopping the body from receiving specific signals from the brain.

Traditional weight loss drugs prevent the brain from sending hunger signals to the body. Professor Herbert Herzog, the head of the neuroscience program at the Garvan Institute says that these therapies tend to be ineffective.

He said, "What we've found is that blocking one system that influences appetite and body weight regulation might not be enough to cause a significant change in reducing body weight. If you take one signal away, others take over."

Only 5 percent of the body weight is lost by patients who practive traditional therapies.

The new drug can effectively control appetite and also encourage the body to burn more fat.

The body can decide whether it wants to use fatty acids for energy or proteins. Therefore when the body can be directed to use more fatty acids stored in the form of fat tissue, then the reduction of body weight might be greater.