FDA approves weight loss stomach pump device

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  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    alyssa_rest wrote: »
    sooo assisted bulimia? nice, america.. instead of providing more information and education on portions and providing accessible, affordable food choices, we are instead avoiding the real issue and just saying okay to something that can become a serious disease. how humanity lasted this long is lost on me sometimes.

    Yes, it's such a shame that we have no affordable food choices here in America. That's what the obese really need. Cheaper food.

    I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but there is a vast difference of what types of food are cheap and who has access to more nutritious fare such as fresh fruits and veggies and who has access to more high saturated fat/high sodium fast food.

    Food security is an issue of privilege in the US. As is education about proper nutrition. But just because you know what's healthy doesn't mean you can get to it or afford to buy it once you're there.
  • MorganMoreaux
    MorganMoreaux Posts: 691 Member
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    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    alyssa_rest wrote: »
    sooo assisted bulimia? nice, america.. instead of providing more information and education on portions and providing accessible, affordable food choices, we are instead avoiding the real issue and just saying okay to something that can become a serious disease. how humanity lasted this long is lost on me sometimes.

    Yes, it's such a shame that we have no affordable food choices here in America. That's what the obese really need. Cheaper food.

    I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but there is a vast difference of what types of food are cheap and who has access to more nutritious fare such as fresh fruits and veggies and who has access to more high saturated fat/high sodium fast food.

    Food security is an issue of privilege in the US. As is education about proper nutrition. But just because you know what's healthy doesn't mean you can get to it or afford to buy it once you're there.

    No, it's really not. This is applicable in a few areas but is not as widespread some people think it is, particularly in the contental US. There was a thread recently addressing food cost and availability and the main take away was that whole foods were primarily less expensive or just as expensive as unhealthy food. It seemed that people either didn't want the hassle of preparation and cooking, or preferred the flavours of the hyperpalatable foods they were used. If you are addressing designer "healthy" foods like branded diet foods etc, those are not the end all on healthy food options, and I think the health benefits of those are questionable. Query past threads and read those discussions, this thread isn't about socioeconomic status or "privledge".

    At anyrate, people are obese because they consume too many calories. People can become obese eating healthy food or unhealthy food if they over eat either. Alternatively, people can keep a healthy BMI eating unhealthy foods if they exercised portion control and were mindful about their calorie consumption. People blaming obesity on their poverty is an oxymoron...perhaps they would have extra cash if they weren't overeating and ate within their calorie budget.
  • ALG775
    ALG775 Posts: 246 Member
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    When I first heard about the device- I was fairly quick to judge. However, I recently read this article by Yoni Freedhoff- a bariatric doctor- who is very vigilant about calling out weight bias when he sees it. I realized that I had been judging people who would even consider it.

    http://www.weightymatters.ca/2016/06/the-aspire-assist-surgical-bulimia-or.html

    In this short article, he talks about a study which has been completed on this and points out that people on it, did loss weight, and did start modifying their eating habits.

    He ends by stating that if Aspire proves to be safe and not increase binge eating, he'll talk about this option (along with all others) with his patients

    "because my job is to ensure my patients are aware of the risks and benefits of all of their treatment options, including watchful waiting, and then to support them in whatever informed decision they make. To do otherwise in my mind is contrary to the spirit of medicine and suggests one of two exceedingly common and unfair weight biases. First the one that often angrily asserts that unless a person is willing to make formative lifestyle changes, they're not worthy of being helped, or the second - that if only patients wanted it badly enough, they'd just fix themselves. Honestly, if desire were sufficient is there anyone out there who'd struggle with anything?"

    A reminder to myself to watch my empathy...
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    suzyjane1972 wrote: »
    If youd asked Me 50lb ago would you be interested in a gadget that allowed you to keep eating crap while pretending to a therapist you're doing it right and lose weight OR take control of our own life and learn how to eat in moderation......hmmmmm. no contest pump may well have won

    Well, I lost 50 pounds and re-gained it all. I know the hard work ahead of me to lose it again. And you couldn't pay me to use this device.
  • suzyjane1972
    suzyjane1972 Posts: 612 Member
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    Dnarules wrote: »
    suzyjane1972 wrote: »
    If youd asked Me 50lb ago would you be interested in a gadget that allowed you to keep eating crap while pretending to a therapist you're doing it right and lose weight OR take control of our own life and learn how to eat in moderation......hmmmmm. no contest pump may well have won

    Well, I lost 50 pounds and re-gained it all. I know the hard work ahead of me to lose it again. And you couldn't pay me to use this device.

    Now I wouldn't but when I was less aware I wouldn't have thought twice.....what frightens me most is it doesnt seem to teach you anything to help your future
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    ALG775 wrote: »
    When I first heard about the device- I was fairly quick to judge. However, I recently read this article by Yoni Freedhoff- a bariatric doctor- who is very vigilant about calling out weight bias when he sees it. I realized that I had been judging people who would even consider it.

    http://www.weightymatters.ca/2016/06/the-aspire-assist-surgical-bulimia-or.html

    In this short article, he talks about a study which has been completed on this and points out that people on it, did loss weight, and did start modifying their eating habits.

    He ends by stating that if Aspire proves to be safe and not increase binge eating, he'll talk about this option (along with all others) with his patients

    "because my job is to ensure my patients are aware of the risks and benefits of all of their treatment options, including watchful waiting, and then to support them in whatever informed decision they make. To do otherwise in my mind is contrary to the spirit of medicine and suggests one of two exceedingly common and unfair weight biases. First the one that often angrily asserts that unless a person is willing to make formative lifestyle changes, they're not worthy of being helped, or the second - that if only patients wanted it badly enough, they'd just fix themselves. Honestly, if desire were sufficient is there anyone out there who'd struggle with anything?"

    A reminder to myself to watch my empathy...

    My position against this device is not about judging someone for using tools that differ from the ones I use or some "Holier than thou" attitude. I don't really speak up about it often, but I'm all for people using any weight loss tools they deem appropriate, from very low risk things like pre-prepared meals and dietitians, to low risk things like short term crash dieting, to medium risk supervised appetite suppressants and VLCD, all the way up to weight loss surgery and brain surgery. Different people respond to different approaches.

    Like I mentioned before, my issue with this device is that it's only successful if you watch your food and completely unsuccessful if you don't, rendering it nearly useless and more of a hassle than it's worth. Since changes in diet need to be made anyway, why not just make them without having to go through the daily hassle of a feeding (purging, more accurately) tube? Yes, all extreme weight loss methods need to be coupled with a change in food consumption for long term success, but none that I've seen so far is this closely dependant on diet for short term success as well.

    Gastric bypass, for example, mechanically hinders how much you can consume until you manage to stretch out your stomach to where you need a repeat operation. By that point, an obese person would have lost a significant amount of weight and although regain does happen in some cases, regaining a large amount of weight with a mechanical hindrance is much harder than regaining the modest loss achieved after using this device for a whole year (if you did make diet changes that is, if you didn't, it's a complete bust to begin with).

    I've seen studies that show even temporary weight loss has benefits over staying obese, and the more it lasts the more are the benefits, so you can see where I'm coming from. If the same modest success can be achieved with a very minimal changes in diet why go through a dangerous and inconvenient process unnecessarily?
  • justrollme
    justrollme Posts: 802 Member
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    eveandqsmom wrote: »
    Kinda creepy bizarro world where the rich are gluttonous and empty their ports after every meal while the poor starve? ...it would make a good novel. I think I might go write it! ;)

    Suzanne Collins beat you to it! That exact scenario is in "The Hunger Games." The rich citizens of the Capitol binge and then take a cordial to purge, so that they can enjoy further binges, all while citizens of most of their districts starve.

    This device reminded me of Wall-E, also, where society adapted to obesity as a norm. ...Not that I'd consider this device a "normal" solution. At least, not yet. Right now, it seems extreme; an extreme that is intended to battle another extreme (morbid obesity.) It'll be interesting to see what the future holds.

    If nutrition, dietary and emotional counseling haven't helped a morbidly obese person, then I am unsure how this device would really help in the long run. Maybe the counseling isn't effective because people may not truly understand the meaning of stuff they've been told. "I need to eat less" is not specific enough, imho. "I need to eat x calories and here is what that looks like" would make more sense.

    In various topics across MFP, there is often discussion around the general lack of education around nutrition/health. I think part of the problem is that this type of education should ideally begin at home, through setting a consistent example, but now that weight problems have reached "epidemic proportions," (according to news channels, anyway) I'm left thinking that there are probably a lot of people who cannot set a good example at home because they simply do not know how.

    What I see and hear is that there is education around nutrition and health, at least in my country/state, but what is lacking is a practical application of the information. When I remember back to my favorite teachers, they were the ones who made learning...tangible. Learning the science of baking cookies. Learning about a culture through experiencing a ritual and cooking its food. I think these types of teachers or teaching methods could really help with nutrition, and not just for children.

    This is all just my personal little perspective, but so often I find through discussions with people that there is an overall understanding of needing to eat less and/or move more, but without realizing exactly how to do that. I also think a lot of people genuinely believe that controlling their weight is not possible without paying for some gimmick, potion or extreme solution. It's like watching a fly hit the window over and over, when an open door is six inches away. /sleepyrant

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    Alluminati wrote: »
    MorganMoreaux wrote: »
    So this has to be done 30 minutes after eating, does this mean Resturaunt bathrooms with be consumed by people pumping their stomachs? The concept makes me a little queasy, walking in and hearing/smelling it would probably make me vomit.

    I took care of a friend who was dying of cancer. They had a j-tube to get nutrients as they had esophageal cancer that had spread to their stomachs. It was not a pleseant experience for them having to live with the tube, and I really don't foresee many people being able to maintain stomach pumping as it is going to be more involved than they anticipate, and it's very inconvenient to live with a tube in your gut, regardless of the port. While it sounds quick and easy, having to functionally live with this is a totally different issue, one that I don't think many people will be able to tolerate.

    I have my opinions on this procedure, and all the points I could make have been said in this thread so I'm not going to parrot other posts. For whoever gets this done I wish them the best of luck and hope it works out for them.

    Instead of a doggie bag they hand you a vomit bag so you can dump while the waiter is getting your check.

    This made me laugh harder than it should have.


    I haven't read all the posts, but have we discussed the complications that come with having this type of device? There are many, which are not limited to:
    1) Leaking of gastric contents into the abdomen causing peritonitis, sepsis, and death.
    2) Infection leading to the above. Particularly if there are superbugs or fecal matter involved. The latter is less likely with the tube being in the stomach, but I've seen worse happen.

    Complications are rare with a g-tube.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    How is this thing not just sanctioned bulimia?? Srsly if you wouldn't stick your fingers down your throat you shouldn't think this is a good idea either.

    Sanctioned bulimia with a higher risk for surgical complications.

    Higher risk of surgical complications than vomiting/laxitives, but a lower risk of complications overall.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    alyssa_rest wrote: »
    sooo assisted bulimia? nice, america.. instead of providing more information and education on portions and providing accessible, affordable food choices, we are instead avoiding the real issue and just saying okay to something that can become a serious disease. how humanity lasted this long is lost on me sometimes.

    Yes, it's such a shame that we have no affordable food choices here in America. That's what the obese really need. Cheaper food.

    I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but there is a vast difference of what types of food are cheap and who has access to more nutritious fare such as fresh fruits and veggies and who has access to more high saturated fat/high sodium fast food.

    Food security is an issue of privilege in the US. As is education about proper nutrition. But just because you know what's healthy doesn't mean you can get to it or afford to buy it once you're there.

    The issue at hand is not "healthy food", it's obesity. You can become obese on healthy food just as you can on unhealthy food. You can lose weight eating unhealthy food just as can eating healthy food.

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