If you’re looking for a fool-proof way to shed some of those festive pounds, the new Food Watcher could be just the ticket.

This handy little device has small metal cones that are inserted into the ears, like earphones, where they generate painless electrical pulses, to block the messages carried by the vagus nerve which keeps the brain in contact with the stomach.

This is said to reduce the stomach’s movement, dulling appetite (as hunger is generated by spontaneous movements of the gut) when used for five to ten minutes, twice a day.

While it has not been rigorously researched, early tests show that it creates an effective diversion when hunger strikes.

‘Independent studies prove this is effective for appetite suppression,’ says Dr Bob Lister from the Institute of Brain Chemistry, who has been heading up development of the product.

If it means skipping the gym, we’ll give it a try!

Stockist: £99, themicrocurrentsite.co.uk

Amy Lindsay – MyFaceMyBody.com Journalist