FDA approves stomach pump

BigGuy47

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2016/06/15/fda-obesity-weight-loss-aspire-assist-device-pump-food-stomach/85915870/

The notion of draining the stomach.contents with an external port is unsettling to me.

Jdigs88

I saw this article this morning. I'm really bothered by it. I understand surgical alterations that restrict food intake, but installing equipment to purge your stomach does seem like facilitated bulimia (minus acid on teeth issues). Are we that afraid of obesity as a nation that we'd go that far? Admittedly, the article didn't delve into the technicalities of nutrition and supplements and actual weight loss numbers, so I feel uninformed to make a real judgement, but still. Glad I wasn't the only one whose eye it caught.

junodog1

I had to look to see if this was dated April 1.
Unbelievable.

shmulyeng

I was completely disgusted by this. I used to not be a big fan of weight loss surgery in general. Since I've lost weight (no, I didn't have surgery) and realizing the benefits involved in weight loss, I changed my mind. I now take the "whatever it takes" approach. But this is just too much. Weight loss surgery at least forces the person to decide what to eat. This complete removes any incentive to control your intake. A person has no way of knowing if anything that remained in their stomach has any nutritional value.

lemurcat12

There's an ongoing discussion here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10409787/fda-approves-weight-loss-stomach-pump-device#latest

Carlos_421

Physician assisted purging. How fabulous.

Need2Exerc1se

What is the debate topic? Do we think it's a good idea? Sadly, I think there are people for whom it could be useful.

Timshel_

I would say I am amazed at the lengths people will go to so they don't have to eat right and exercise, but I am really not surprised anymore.

cindigh

i know that it is difficult to lose weight...but that was disgusting to watch. that is basically giving free reign to have no responsibility over yourself. wrong wrong wrong.

Need2Exerc1se

cindigh wrote: »

i know that it is difficult to lose weight...but that was disgusting to watch. that is basically giving free reign to have no responsibility over yourself. wrong wrong wrong.

Since this is approved for people who have failed at other non-surgical weight loss methods and they must be medically supervised and counseled during its use, I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Can you explain further?

singingflutelady

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

cindigh wrote: »

i know that it is difficult to lose weight...but that was disgusting to watch. that is basically giving free reign to have no responsibility over yourself. wrong wrong wrong.

Since this is approved for people who have failed at other non-surgical weight loss methods and they must be medically supervised and counseled during its use, I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Can you explain further?

You don't think having a device that will empty your stomach of what you eat promotes personal responsibility? Maybe if you are grossed out by it but it is just medically supervised purging.

lemurcat12

Okay, to get more into the debate aspect rather than just "this is happening" -- I'm bothered and upset by this, but I am not sure my reaction is justifiable. I think it's based on the moralistic idea that actions must have consequences, which arguably is not the best way to approach a public health crisis. I know I'm thinking it's an undeserving/easy way out way to lose weight, which is contrary to my usual argument that weight loss should be as easy as possible.

On the other hand, purging is unhealthy and a terrible thing to encourage and this does seem to legitimize purging.

singingflutelady

As a former anorexic binge/purge I would totally use it as free range purging device if I got one.

Need2Exerc1se

singingflutelady wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

cindigh wrote: »

i know that it is difficult to lose weight...but that was disgusting to watch. that is basically giving free reign to have no responsibility over yourself. wrong wrong wrong.

Since this is approved for people who have failed at other non-surgical weight loss methods and they must be medically supervised and counseled during its use, I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Can you explain further?

You don't think having a device that will empty your stomach of what you eat promotes personal responsibility? Maybe if you are grossed out by it but it is just medically supervised purging.

Yes, I realize that. But these are people who have already failed at personal responsibility and are morbidly obese. You don't think that reducing weight via safer purging while receiving counseling seems worth a try for them?

Need2Exerc1se

singingflutelady wrote: »

As a former anorexic binge/purge I would totally use it as free range purging device if I got one.

Only for 115 cycles, then you'd have to see your doctor to make it work again. And at least you wouldn't be eating away your esophagus during those 115 purges.

singingflutelady

I just don't see how it would encourage you to eat less as you don't have to. Actually it encourages it as you could eat whatever you wanted and just purge it. Purging is a bad habit especially for those who haven't purged in the past.

singingflutelady

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

singingflutelady wrote: »

As a former anorexic binge/purge I would totally use it as free range purging device if I got one.

Only for 115 cycles, then you'd have to see your doctor to make it work again. And at least you wouldn't be eating away your esophagus during those 115 purges.

But the people getting this have bed not bulimia right? Usually bed patients don't purge though. So what happens when it no longer works. You are used to binging more and being able to purge so do you start purging by mouth when denied?

AlabasterVerve

cindigh wrote: »

i know that it is difficult to lose weight...but that was disgusting to watch. that is basically giving free reign to have no responsibility over yourself. wrong wrong wrong.

This is what personal responsibility looks like - every man for themselves, lose weight by any means necessary. We failed as a society to teach and enforce good eating habits and build and plan our environments to encourage activity and this is the result.

I honestly expect even more horrifying drugs and surgical treatments before it's all said and done and we sort out the mess we've made.

BigGuy47

lemurcat12 wrote: »

There's an ongoing discussion here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10409787/fda-approves-weight-loss-stomach-pump-device#latest

I missed the other discussion. It came across my news feed this morning and I threw it up here. No pun intended.

singingflutelady

I just don't see how it can help in the long term because it isn't teaching you proper portion control and is replacing one ed with anothee

Need2Exerc1se

singingflutelady wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

singingflutelady wrote: »

As a former anorexic binge/purge I would totally use it as free range purging device if I got one.

Only for 115 cycles, then you'd have to see your doctor to make it work again. And at least you wouldn't be eating away your esophagus during those 115 purges.

But the people getting this have bed not bulimia right? Usually bed patients don't purge though. So what happens when it no longer works. You are used to binging more and being able to purge so do you start purging by mouth when denied?

Or the counseling helps you control the bed?? Isn't counseling a valid approach to disordered eating?

singingflutelady

It is but alone it did nothing for me. It's good but the habits are so ingrained that it has to be coupled with behavior modification especially as I am assuming you have to be very severe to get one. So counselling should be coupled with experiences of eating normally in stressful situations and being successful with it.

I don't think being able to do undesirable behaviour with no negative consequences (in fact it will have positive consequences as they will lose weight eating whatever they want) is a can of worms doctors should permit.

Need2Exerc1se

singingflutelady wrote: »

It is but alone it did nothing for me. It's good but the habits are so ingrained that it has to be coupled with behavior modification especially as I am assuming you have to be very severe to get one. So counselling should be coupled with experiences of eating normally in stressful situations and being successful with it.

I don't think being able to do undesirable behaviour with no negative consequences (in fact it will have positive consequences as they will lose weight eating whatever they want) is a can of worms doctors should permit.

The positive consequences might be life saving for this group.

singingflutelady

Life saving in the short term but what happens when they get it removed and haven't learnt proper portion control?

Need2Exerc1se

singingflutelady wrote: »

Life saving in the short term but what happens when they get it removed and haven't learnt proper portion control?

IF they didn't learn proper portion control, then they'll probably regain the weight just like almost everyone else that loses weight.

But hopefully they will learn.

singingflutelady

That's the hope but being able to purge everything you eat doesn't promote learning proper habits imho

Need2Exerc1se

singingflutelady wrote: »

That's the hope but being able to purge everything you eat doesn't promote learning proper habits imho

I would imagine it will work for some and not for others. Like every other weight loss method.

ccrdragon

sure, counseling is valid, the problem here is that (according to the other thread) this is used in cases where counseling alone has failed, so 'POOF', now you get this pump and still get counseling and magically - w/o having to actually listen to/implement the counseling - you lose weight (because you purge 30% of what you are eating anyway).

so my biggest issue with this and the whole idea is what happens at the end of 6 months or a year or maybe even longer (sorry I don't know the time frames for how long the pump is to be used) and you still haven't implemented the good eating habits?!?

robininfl

OK that's gross. Medically assisted bulimia, not sure how that is beneficial. Seems like chewing food and then spitting it out would make more sense, and be easier on your body.

chocolate_owl

Some facts about the device:
-It is only to be prescribed for patients 22+ with BMIs of 35+.
-It is not meant to be prescribed to anyone with eating disorders, including BED.
-It is only to be prescribed after non-surgical weight loss treatment has been attempted.
-It is meant to be used with ongoing non-surgical weight loss treatment (i.e. nutrition education and counseling).
-It's meant to be used 20-30 minutes after a meal, and it takes 5-10 minutes to pump out stomach contents.
-It empties 30% of your stomach contents after a meal, not the whole meal.
-It stops working after 115 cycles and requires a visit to the doctor to be repaired, so it theoretically can't be abused long-term.
-In trials, 111 patients with the device plus treatment lost an average of 12.1% of their total body weight, vs the control group of 60 patients who lost 3.6% of their body weight with non-surgical weight loss treatment alone.
-This has already been approved for use in Europe.

As someone with a history of bulimia, this makes me cringe, and it makes me terrified of doctors who will skirt the rules and will prescribe these for people with eating disorders. It makes me concerned that these people won't really learn anything, and that one eating disorder is getting replaced with another. But then, as someone who has never been obese, I can't mentally grasp being in a situation where this device could be considered a necessity.

I could imagine that having this particular treatment prescribed could wake some people up to the direness of their situation. Is this REALLY a treatment you'd want? Is it a treatment you'd want to continue for very long? Would you take your nutrition education and counseling more seriously if you had to evacuate your stomach after every meal? Would you feel more motivated and in control if you lost 12.1% of your body weight instead of 3.6%?

My knee-jerk reaction is to this device is no, no no no, no no no no no, no no, and no. My more logical objection is that a good chunk of what would be emptied is slower-digesting food like protein and fiber, which seems like it could lead to more nutrient deficiencies in people with already-poor diets. But maybe I'm being too hasty. Maybe there's a set of people this could help, as trial studies seem to indicate.

klkateri

I swear I saw this on "Tim and Eric, Great Job" several years back.