Scientists have launched a search to find the magic ingredient that makes people feel full, according to The Press Association.

The news - which may be of interest to professionals working in dietitian jobs - has confirmed that the £7 million project was funded by the European Union, and has been named 'Full4Health'.

The research will be undertaken by scientists at the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute for Nutrition and Health, who will monitor and analyse how our bodies respond to different types of food, at different life stages.

It is hoped that the results of the research will help to tackle Britain's growing obesity problem.

One professor working on Full4Health, Julian Mercer, gave his opinion on the state of the UK's health: "Obesity is a major public health problem and although a number of drugs have reached the market for its treatment, most have been subsequently withdrawn due to the emergence of unacceptable side effects."

"This has provided extra impetus on efforts to develop dietary strategies to tackle the problem. We need to understand how responses to food differ in our bodies. This is the first study of its kind that we know of to take this approach."

Reports in The Daily Express also suggested that Mercer wanted the body's "natural physiotherapy" to do the talking, as this would uncover the complexities of a human being's relationship with food.