FDA approves weight loss stomach pump device

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  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    BarbieAS wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    KaysKidz wrote: »
    No it's not. All the people on here saying there is no reason for people to be obese. They just need to put down the fork. If it were that easy, there would be no obese people in the world. So until you have lived it, you have no idea what you are talking about...therefor....SHUT UP about it.

    Who said there's no reason for people to be obese?
    All I said was that giving people the tools they need to reduce their intake of food would be far superior and more healthy/safe than continuing to allow uncontrolled intake while removing food from the stomach.
    The stomach pump approach, if continued long term, runs a high risk of causing deficiencies since fast digesting carbs will be the majority of what remains in the body while things like protein and fat (which is necessarily for vitamin absorption and a host of other things) will be flushed out.
    And once the pump is no longer in use, what keeps the patient from regaining the weight? And if they've learned to eat less in the process so that they can keep the weight off, doesn't that show that they didn't really need the pump to begin with?

    That last sentence is beyond silly. The same could be said of any weight loss tool.

    How is it silly? If they're able to control their intake, they don't need the pump. If not, the effects won't last.

    And yes, it can be said about lipo, Jenny Craig, weight loss shakes and a host of other things. That doesn't invalidate the statement.

    It's silly because it makes no sense to say that if you retain knowledge learned you never needed to learn it in the first place.

    Which is not what I said.
    What I'm saying is that if a person is incapable of learning how to eat properly and implement what they've learned, the results of using the pump will not last. However, if they are capable of learning how to eat properly and implement what they've learned they can do so without using the pump.

    How do you know? From the moment kids step one foot into a classroom on their first day of school it's widely recognized that everyone learns VERY differently - yes, generally referring to academics in childhood and young adulthood, but it absolutely extends into other areas of life. Who are you to decide for another person how they learn best? Maybe this device is what makes it stick for some people after years of trying many other methods. I highly doubt that there is anyone out there who right out of the box goes "you know what? I've been overweight all my life, I've got to lose 75lbs, I think instead of even TRYING to go for a walk or to cut my calories I'm going to go out and get that thing where I have to barf through a tube for the rest of my life." And I certainly hope that for the few who do have that mindset that they have a responsible doctor who won't let them do it. The intention is for this device to be used by people who CAN'T learn other ways. Says so right on the FDA approval - it's intended for individuals "who have failed to achieve and maintain weight loss through non-surgical weight-loss therapy."

    The bolded illustrates my point that those who use this device will be very likely to gain the weight back. They have proven that they are either a) unable or b) unwilling to eat in such a way as to manage their weight.
    Using a device to manipulate CI while leaving real intake unchecked may result in weight loss during use but when the device is gone and the same eating patterns continue, the weight will return.

    Guess what? EVERYONE who loses weight is very likely to gain the weight back. Various studies have shown up to 97% of people who have lost significant amounts of weight gain it all back or more within 3 years. Regardless of how the weight is lost to begin with.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Dnarules wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    KaysKidz wrote: »
    No it's not. All the people on here saying there is no reason for people to be obese. They just need to put down the fork. If it were that easy, there would be no obese people in the world. So until you have lived it, you have no idea what you are talking about...therefor....SHUT UP about it.

    Who said there's no reason for people to be obese?
    All I said was that giving people the tools they need to reduce their intake of food would be far superior and more healthy/safe than continuing to allow uncontrolled intake while removing food from the stomach.
    The stomach pump approach, if continued long term, runs a high risk of causing deficiencies since fast digesting carbs will be the majority of what remains in the body while things like protein and fat (which is necessarily for vitamin absorption and a host of other things) will be flushed out.
    And once the pump is no longer in use, what keeps the patient from regaining the weight? And if they've learned to eat less in the process so that they can keep the weight off, doesn't that show that they didn't really need the pump to begin with?

    That last sentence is beyond silly. The same could be said of any weight loss tool.

    How is it silly? If they're able to control their intake, they don't need the pump. If not, the effects won't last.

    And yes, it can be said about lipo, Jenny Craig, weight loss shakes and a host of other things. That doesn't invalidate the statement.

    Also including calorie counting and MFP types of sites. I'm not saying I am for this device, but ALL weight loss methods are subject to this.

    MFP is a counting tool. I've had success not due to MFP but due to my learning how to eat properly.
    Whether I write down what I've eaten, track it on MFP or have a good enough memory to track my intake mentally makes no difference.
    Tracking food intake to ensure proper nutrition =/= a gimmick product/procedure. I track my intake because I know what/how much I need to eat to reach my goals, not because I depend on MFP or other sites to lose weight. I use MFP to supplement my memory.

    Stomach pumps, Jenny Craig, lipo...they don't teach me how much protein I need or how to ensure I get it. Therefore, once the program is over or the product runs out, the results don't last.
    Because I do know how much protein I need, how much fat, how much fiber and how many calories, I can continue to enjoy success no matter what method I use to measure my intake.

    Big difference. Really big. Yuuuuuge.

    If MFP taught you how much protein you need, does that mean you eat the amount of protein suggested by the site without adjustment?

    Did you read what I said? I said that MFP is only a counting tool for me. I never said that it taught me anything.
    And no, as I'm a heavy lifter currently eating in a deficit, I eat a LOT more protein than MFP suggests. I also don't follow MFP's calorie recommendations as I've learned for myself what my actual intake should be.

    So MFP what makes MFP any better than the pump you also think teaches nothing? I'm just assuming you think it is better since you are here often.
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
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    Thing to consider: is the existence of this device a good thing? Weight loss therapy is required before you qualify for the device, so will people go to their docs saying they want the pump, spend a couple of months learning about nutrition, and realize they don't actually need the device's help? This might be the way they get exposed to proper information about diet and exercise.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
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    Dnarules wrote: »
    So people who lack the will power to cut down their calories, they are giving them an easy way out that will lead to an eat disorder. 'Merica! Land of the Lazy Way Out!

    Again, I'm not trying to defend this device, but this doesn't look like an easy way out. I love to eat, and I eat too much, but I can't imagine even considering this. I think the majority of obese people would balk at this, but I could be wrong.

    Yeah no, I know tons of people who would look at this like "Omg I can eat whatever I want and not watch how much I eat" (most of those idiots in my extended family always looking for an easy way out) and actually get this surgery. Never change their eating habits, get it removed and then gain all the weight back. Unlike the other weigh loss surgeries that do things like shrink the stomach so you feel fuller quicker so you learn to eat smaller sizes, this is letting you eat whatever you want and just pumping it out, like bulimia. This is an easy way to bulimia. Binge eating then throwing it back up without the throwing up part. I'm surprised an American didn't think of this.

    I can actually see a future where it's a commonly accepted weight loss method. I think a LOT of people would be drawn to a method of losing weight that allows them to eat and drink whatever they want.

    And that would be bad?

    It would be incredibly wasteful.
  • SassyMommasaurus
    SassyMommasaurus Posts: 380 Member
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    Dnarules wrote: »
    So people who lack the will power to cut down their calories, they are giving them an easy way out that will lead to an eat disorder. 'Merica! Land of the Lazy Way Out!

    Again, I'm not trying to defend this device, but this doesn't look like an easy way out. I love to eat, and I eat too much, but I can't imagine even considering this. I think the majority of obese people would balk at this, but I could be wrong.

    Yeah no, I know tons of people who would look at this like "Omg I can eat whatever I want and not watch how much I eat" (most of those idiots in my extended family always looking for an easy way out) and actually get this surgery. Never change their eating habits, get it removed and then gain all the weight back. Unlike the other weigh loss surgeries that do things like shrink the stomach so you feel fuller quicker so you learn to eat smaller sizes, this is letting you eat whatever you want and just pumping it out, like bulimia. This is an easy way to bulimia. Binge eating then throwing it back up without the throwing up part. I'm surprised an American didn't think of this.

    I can actually see a future where it's a commonly accepted weight loss method. I think a LOT of people would be drawn to a method of losing weight that allows them to eat and drink whatever they want.

    You can eat and drink whatever you want now if you just learn to eat it in smaller servings and not binge the bad stuff.

    Re-word to the obvious as much of whatever you want.

    But they would never keep weight off that way. The device has to come out eventually, they can't keep it forever. Once it's out they would eat all it back plus more.
  • alyssa_rest
    alyssa_rest Posts: 276 Member
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    Dnarules wrote: »
    Dnarules wrote: »
    So people who lack the will power to cut down their calories, they are giving them an easy way out that will lead to an eat disorder. 'Merica! Land of the Lazy Way Out!

    Again, I'm not trying to defend this device, but this doesn't look like an easy way out. I love to eat, and I eat too much, but I can't imagine even considering this. I think the majority of obese people would balk at this, but I could be wrong.

    Yeah no, I know tons of people who would look at this like "Omg I can eat whatever I want and not watch how much I eat" (most of those idiots in my extended family always looking for an easy way out) and actually get this surgery. Never change their eating habits, get it removed and then gain all the weight back. Unlike the other weigh loss surgeries that do things like shrink the stomach so you feel fuller quicker so you learn to eat smaller sizes, this is letting you eat whatever you want and just pumping it out, like bulimia. This is an easy way to bulimia. Binge eating then throwing it back up without the throwing up part. I'm surprised an American didn't think of this.

    I can actually see a future where it's a commonly accepted weight loss method. I think a LOT of people would be drawn to a method of losing weight that allows them to eat and drink whatever they want.

    And that would be bad?

    Yes, I think it would be bad. I think our goal should more often be education, and teaching people how to eat towards a reasonable calorie goal (while maintaining nutritional goals).

    this.
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
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    Dnarules wrote: »
    So people who lack the will power to cut down their calories, they are giving them an easy way out that will lead to an eat disorder. 'Merica! Land of the Lazy Way Out!

    Again, I'm not trying to defend this device, but this doesn't look like an easy way out. I love to eat, and I eat too much, but I can't imagine even considering this. I think the majority of obese people would balk at this, but I could be wrong.

    Yeah no, I know tons of people who would look at this like "Omg I can eat whatever I want and not watch how much I eat" (most of those idiots in my extended family always looking for an easy way out) and actually get this surgery. Never change their eating habits, get it removed and then gain all the weight back. Unlike the other weigh loss surgeries that do things like shrink the stomach so you feel fuller quicker so you learn to eat smaller sizes, this is letting you eat whatever you want and just pumping it out, like bulimia. This is an easy way to bulimia. Binge eating then throwing it back up without the throwing up part. I'm surprised an American didn't think of this.

    I can actually see a future where it's a commonly accepted weight loss method. I think a LOT of people would be drawn to a method of losing weight that allows them to eat and drink whatever they want.

    You can eat and drink whatever you want now if you just learn to eat it in smaller servings and not binge the bad stuff.

    Re-word to the obvious as much of whatever you want.

    But they would never keep weight off that way. The device has to come out eventually, they can't keep it forever. Once it's out they would eat all it back plus more.

    I'm sure they would believe that they would be better if they lost the weight first...just like they do know with all the magic potions and detoxes, and pills...the diet industry is not the giant that it is because overweight people don't want a quick easy fix.
  • SassyMommasaurus
    SassyMommasaurus Posts: 380 Member
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    Thing to consider: is the existence of this device a good thing? Weight loss therapy is required before you qualify for the device, so will people go to their docs saying they want the pump, spend a couple of months learning about nutrition, and realize they don't actually need the device's help? This might be the way they get exposed to proper information about diet and exercise.

    I know a lot of people who would fake that *kitten* as long as they had to just to get the pump. I'd hope most people would learn how to do it the right way with the weigh loss therapy but there will still be a lot of people who just fake their way through it, or there will be shifty doctors that will do it without making the patients do the therapy, because you know, more money in the surgery.
  • BogQueen1
    BogQueen1 Posts: 320 Member
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    This may be as unscientific as it comes. But here we go anyway. My Mom always told me when I was younger that when you overeat you stretch out your stomach (the actual organ, not your midsection) and that after repeated over stretching, your stomach would hang there like some sort of balloon you tried to blow up too many times, and that in order to feel full, you would now require more food to fill your stomach.

    So I've always thought that aside from all the mental/hormonal/etc issues that we encounter losing weight, there's a bit of a mechanical one as well. Gastric sleeves, etc, are intended to reduce the size of the stomach so we feel fuller on less food. I've kind of felt like that's one of your 'goals' of weight loss, is to eat normal sized/smaller portions to allow your stomach to retract from it's deflated balloon state into a more normal size, so you are comfortably full with normal sized portions, and don't require Cheesecake Factory sized portions to feel full.

    If this device allows you to continue to overeat, and then just drain out 30% of what you consumed, doesn't this completely remove any retraction of the stomach that may normally occur with weight loss efforts? So instead of becoming accustomed to normal sized portions, you will always feel the need to eat huge portions, your stomach will never shrink back, and the physical changes needed to maintain the weight loss will never occur.

    I get that at the high end of BMI levels, you start running into other problems that may make this less of a concern, such as decreased mobility (you end up too fat to walk or do much activity making it harder to lose weight). But in a normal 'I want to lose weight' scenario, this just doesn't seem to address any of the underlying problems associated with weight gain/loss.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Dnarules wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    KaysKidz wrote: »
    No it's not. All the people on here saying there is no reason for people to be obese. They just need to put down the fork. If it were that easy, there would be no obese people in the world. So until you have lived it, you have no idea what you are talking about...therefor....SHUT UP about it.

    Who said there's no reason for people to be obese?
    All I said was that giving people the tools they need to reduce their intake of food would be far superior and more healthy/safe than continuing to allow uncontrolled intake while removing food from the stomach.
    The stomach pump approach, if continued long term, runs a high risk of causing deficiencies since fast digesting carbs will be the majority of what remains in the body while things like protein and fat (which is necessarily for vitamin absorption and a host of other things) will be flushed out.
    And once the pump is no longer in use, what keeps the patient from regaining the weight? And if they've learned to eat less in the process so that they can keep the weight off, doesn't that show that they didn't really need the pump to begin with?

    That last sentence is beyond silly. The same could be said of any weight loss tool.

    How is it silly? If they're able to control their intake, they don't need the pump. If not, the effects won't last.

    And yes, it can be said about lipo, Jenny Craig, weight loss shakes and a host of other things. That doesn't invalidate the statement.

    Also including calorie counting and MFP types of sites. I'm not saying I am for this device, but ALL weight loss methods are subject to this.

    MFP is a counting tool. I've had success not due to MFP but due to my learning how to eat properly.
    Whether I write down what I've eaten, track it on MFP or have a good enough memory to track my intake mentally makes no difference.
    Tracking food intake to ensure proper nutrition =/= a gimmick product/procedure. I track my intake because I know what/how much I need to eat to reach my goals, not because I depend on MFP or other sites to lose weight. I use MFP to supplement my memory.

    Stomach pumps, Jenny Craig, lipo...they don't teach me how much protein I need or how to ensure I get it. Therefore, once the program is over or the product runs out, the results don't last.
    Because I do know how much protein I need, how much fat, how much fiber and how many calories, I can continue to enjoy success no matter what method I use to measure my intake.

    Big difference. Really big. Yuuuuuge.

    If MFP taught you how much protein you need, does that mean you eat the amount of protein suggested by the site without adjustment?

    Did you read what I said? I said that MFP is only a counting tool for me. I never said that it taught me anything.
    And no, as I'm a heavy lifter currently eating in a deficit, I eat a LOT more protein than MFP suggests. I also don't follow MFP's calorie recommendations as I've learned for myself what my actual intake should be.

    So MFP what makes MFP any better than the pump you also think teaches nothing? I'm just assuming you think it is better since you are here often.

    Again...pay attention this time...

    MFP is not the mechanism by which I have lost weight. Educating myself about my nutritional needs and eating accordingly to those needs (which include a caloric deficit) is the mechanism by which I have lost weight.
    That education has come from a myriad of sources.

    I track my food on MFP for no other reason than that it's simpler than carrying around a notepad with my food log on it. If my memory was reliable enough I would track my food mentally but it's not.

    MFP is no different than the food scale I use to weigh my food. One measures the food, the other tracks it. But I control the intake.

    The pump, on the other hand, is a device which synthetically alters the amount of Calories In by removing contents from the stomach, thus (likely) enforcing a deficit even when actual intake would have resulted in a surplus. This is more likely to reinforce bad eating habits as weight loss will occur even though actions of the patient would otherwise result in weight maintenance/gain.

    Asking "Why is MFP better than the pump?" is like asking "why is using a calculator better than copying the answers out of the answer key?"

    It's not better if your goal is to learn how to get to the answer. It's unfathomably better if your actual life depends on getting the answer right, regardless of how you get there, and despite several efforts you just can't figure out the calculator. Do you keep banging on the calculator until you die, or do you flip to the back of the book and worry about the rest later?
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    edited June 2016
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    queenliz99 wrote: »
    It's intermission time, once again. Popcorn anyone, I'm buying!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

    Surprisingly apropos!


    "I could be arguing in my spare time!"
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Double post.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    It's intermission time, once again. Popcorn anyone, I'm buying!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

    Surprisingly apropos!

    "I could be arguing in my spare time!"

    LOL
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    Options
    This may be as unscientific as it comes. But here we go anyway. My Mom always told me when I was younger that when you overeat you stretch out your stomach (the actual organ, not your midsection) and that after repeated over stretching, your stomach would hang there like some sort of balloon you tried to blow up too many times, and that in order to feel full, you would now require more food to fill your stomach.

    So I've always thought that aside from all the mental/hormonal/etc issues that we encounter losing weight, there's a bit of a mechanical one as well. Gastric sleeves, etc, are intended to reduce the size of the stomach so we feel fuller on less food. I've kind of felt like that's one of your 'goals' of weight loss, is to eat normal sized/smaller portions to allow your stomach to retract from it's deflated balloon state into a more normal size, so you are comfortably full with normal sized portions, and don't require Cheesecake Factory sized portions to feel full.

    If this device allows you to continue to overeat, and then just drain out 30% of what you consumed, doesn't this completely remove any retraction of the stomach that may normally occur with weight loss efforts? So instead of becoming accustomed to normal sized portions, you will always feel the need to eat huge portions, your stomach will never shrink back, and the physical changes needed to maintain the weight loss will never occur.

    I get that at the high end of BMI levels, you start running into other problems that may make this less of a concern, such as decreased mobility (you end up too fat to walk or do much activity making it harder to lose weight). But in a normal 'I want to lose weight' scenario, this just doesn't seem to address any of the underlying problems associated with weight gain/loss.

    The idea of stretching/shrinking of the stomach is actually just a myth.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    Options
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    It's intermission time, once again. Popcorn anyone, I'm buying!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

    Surprisingly apropos!

    "I could be arguing in my spare time!"

    LOL

    That whole sketch was MFP in a nutshell!
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Options
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    It's intermission time, once again. Popcorn anyone, I'm buying!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

    Surprisingly apropos!

    "I could be arguing in my spare time!"

    LOL

    That whole sketch was MFP in a nutshell!

    I always think of this Monty Python skit when I see threads like this :)