Italian scientists are testing a new diet pill that turns into a clear, gelatinous blob the size of a tennis ball that may help shrink waistlines by giving dieters a sense of satiety.

"The effect is like eating a nice plate of pasta," said Luigi Ambrosio, lead researcher on the project.

The unnamed pill is made from a cellulose compound of hydrogel, a material that's powdery when dry but plumps up to a cousin of Jell-O when wet. The gel can soak up to 1,000 times its weight. A gram in capsule form quickly balloons from the size of a spit wad to a ball that holds nearly a liter of liquid.

Let's recap:

Exhibit A:
A Nice Plate of Pasta.

Exhibit B:
Happy Fun Ball.