An Obesity Treatment That’s Tough to Stomach…
Urrrggh… I’m not exactly a fan of bariatric surgery, but the latest new obesity intervention just plain squicks me out…From The Independent:
Eat, drink and pump it out: new weight loss gadget sucks food straight out of the stomach
Who would have thought that the future of weight loss might lie in the hands of the inventor of the Segway? Dean Kamen, creator of the two-wheeled wonder, along with a team from Aspire Bariatrics, of Philadelphia, has applied for a patent for a pump that can suck food and drink straight out of the stomach.
Users are able to stuff their face before draining their stomach by connecting the pump to a valve surgically installed in their abdominal wall. The makers hope to use it to treat the morbidly obese, and to provide an alternative to a gastric bypass.
OMG.
Laura Beck of Jezebel refers to the “AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy System” as a “terrifying new bulimia machine” – a harsh, but not inappropriate judgment, given the company’s description of the “therapy.”
“To begin Aspiration Therapy, a specially designed tube, known as the A-Tube™, is placed in the stomach. The A-Tube is a thin silicone rubber tube that connects the inside of the stomach directly to a discreet, poker-chip sized Skin-Port on the outside of the abdomen. The Skin-Port has a valve that can be opened or closed to control the flow of stomach contents. The patient empties a portion of stomach contents into the toilet after each meal through this tube by connecting a small, handheld device to the Skin-Port. The emptying process is called “aspiration”.
The aspiration process is performed about 20 minutes after the entire meal is consumed and takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete. The process is performed in the privacy of the restroom, and the food is drained directly into the toilet. Because aspiration only removes a third of the food, the body still receives the calories it needs to function. For optimal weight loss, patients should aspirate after each major meal (about 3 times per day) initially. Over time, as patients learn to eat more healthfully, they can reduce the frequency of aspirations.”
The site cites a small number of patients (24) who were successfully treated and who lost an average of 20kg the first year. The company is also recruiting people for clinical trials here in the US.
But – despite the insistence on lifestyle counseling and emphasis on the removability of the “A-Tube,” the site is eerily silent on the long-term nature of the therapy. In time, patients can “reduce the frequency of aspirations.” Reduce… not eliminate. There’s a similar vibe to this claim:
“The most successful patients – those who aspirate regularly and begin to make healthier choices – lost 100% of their excess weight and have maintained that weight loss.”
Apparently, regular aspirating is part of the process of maintaining – as well as achieving – your goal weight.
I have to agree with Dr. Keith Ayoob, who was quoted in this ABC News article:
“This is an enabling device, not a helping device,” Ayoob continued. “It doesn’t do anything to make someone change their relationship with food. Once you put this in someone, they’re never going to want it taken out.”
He was “horrified.” I am, too. Urrggh.
February 22, 2013
I just can’t believe what things people can think of! This is getting rediculous! Eat like a pig, then drain your stomach!
I guess my idea’s of working out and eating right to achieve the body you want is just getting old fashion.
February 22, 2013
Well, I guess the old weight-loss supp ad come-on, “eat all you want and still lose weight,” has finally come true! If I were obese, however, I would spare myself the indignity.