Can losing weight really be as simple as turning off our senses of smell and taste? A Boston company aims to find out.

The Boston Globe reported that Compellis Pharmaceuticals said it has been issued an initial patent for a nasal spray that aims to treat obesity by blocking the senses of smell and taste.

Compellis said it has demonstrated the effectiveness of its treatment in tests with animals and hopes to begin testing on people next year.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com