Could a fat-burning drink be the saviour of gym haters everywhere?

Now, this is news we like to hear on a gloomy Monday morning.

Food giant Nestlé reportedly has plans to create a drink or pill that recreate the fat-burning effects of exercise.

Scientists at the company's Swiss HQ say they have found a way to potentially mimic the actions of an enzyme in charge of regulating our body's metabolism. 

Nestlé's ultimate goal is to create a product that could help to burn fat without exercise, especially for people with limited mobility, diabetes or obesity. 

The enzyme in question, called AMPK, is like a "master switch" that boosts metabolism and burns fat when our body is low on energy, according to Professor Kei Sakamoto. AMPK is usually activated by exercise, but research has shown that there ways to activate it artificially.

So could it be a replacement for that dreaded Abs Burn class? Not quite – although the enzyme would help to burn fat, it won't tone muscles or give that great endorphin high that only comes after physical exertion.

"Exercise has so many different effects – a cognitive role and physiological function – we'll never be able to mimic all those effects in a single product," says Professor Sakamoto.

All the same, we wouldn't say no to a wonder drink next time the alarm goes off for that 6am spinning class!