Finding ways to shed a few pounds has become an American obsession. Now, researchers have hit on an idea that will be music to the ears of anyone trying to trim the waistline.

It involves something of note to any musician — the sound frequency 440 Hertz.

For the less musically inclined, that frequency is the note A-4, or A in the fourth octave. It’s sometimes called “Concert A” because it is the standard tuning pitch for instruments. Once A is calibrated, it can be used as a reference point to tune other notes.

This frequency, it turns out, might help control fat in the human body.

Japanese researchers found in a recent study that exposing cells to this and other frequencies reduced fat cell formation by 15%. The finding is based on mouse cells in a laboratory, not in the human body, so don’t press your belly against a stereo speaker just yet.

The findings, however, suggest that sound therapies might one day be a new weapon in the fight against obesity.

Sound waves can cause physical reactions in cells. The study showed that at 440 Hertz, vibrations triggered production of a specific protein that causes a chain reaction of sorts.

One of the downstream effects is the production of a hormone-like substance tied to inflammation. The end result in experiments is that fewer fat cells develop and many that do fail to mature. And they stored less fat.

Different frequencies produced other cellular impacts. Scientists say these impacts raise questions about how the sounds in the environment might influence health.

Perhaps one day weight loss will be as easy as turning up the volume.