Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

FDA approves stomach pump

BigGuy47
BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
in Debate Club
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.
«1345

Replies

  • Jdigs88
    Jdigs88 Posts: 71 Member
    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
    junodog1 Posts: 4,792 Member
    I had to look to see if this was dated April 1.
    Unbelievable.
  • shmulyeng
    shmulyeng Posts: 472 Member
    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
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    There's an ongoing discussion here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10409787/fda-approves-weight-loss-stomach-pump-device#latest
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    Physician assisted purging. How fabulous.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    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_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
    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
    cindigh Posts: 4 Member
    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
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    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
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    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.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    As a former anorexic binge/purge I would totally use it as free range purging device if I got one.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    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
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    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
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    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
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    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
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    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
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    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
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    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
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    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?

Categories