Now, according to a new study, researchers are able to use CRISPR to reduce the body weight of mice by a staggering 20 percent!

Perhaps even more incredible is the mice in the study did not reduce food intake or increase exercise, and yet experienced this very significant reduction in fat storage.

To put these results into perspective, the average weight of men and women in the United States is 197.8 pounds and 170.5 pounds respectively, with 40% of adults considered obese. Even a 10 percent reduction in body weight would allow a person to stay within a healthy range while maintaining their existing diet. Although results are preliminary, researchers believe that this work could lead to a successful human treatment that would reduce heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and other obesity-related diseases.