Cutting yourself to lose weight?

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AJinBirmingham
AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
in Health and Weight Loss
Would you even consider making small cuts in your gums and on the inside of your mouth, just enough to make eating uncomfortable, in order to lose weight? Probably not.

It sounds crazy, but if you can set your emotional reaction to the idea aside and look at the science and math - this idea actually presents a much safer and less invasive approach than bariatric surgery, and at a fraction of the cost.

I am NOT suggesting anyone do this. I am suggesting that if you or a loved one is ever considering bariatric surgery, really think about what's involved - and learn more about it than just what the physician who makes his living doing the surgery tells you.

You will be risking your life, going under anesthesia, being cut, maybe implanting foreign objects into your body . . . in an effort to force a behaviour change.

(Source - Freakonomics Radio)
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Replies

  • AJinBirmingham
    AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
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    Edited to credit the source of this perspective
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    :huh:
  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
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    Dafug is this?

    No...just no. You never develop a healthy relationship with food this way. Once the cuts heal, then what? Cut again? And again?

    The only "cut" I do is a fat-cutting regime of healthy eating and exercise, thank you very much. People are crazy.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    That is an interesting comparison.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    No...just no. You never develop a healthy relationship with food this way.

    A lot of people don't develop a healthy relationship with food after gastric surgery either.
  • kellyskitties
    kellyskitties Posts: 475 Member
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    The infection risk of bariatric surgery would be limited to a certain amount of time post surgery.... the infection risk of maintaining these cuts in a bacterial rich mouth would be ongoing and in my opinion, because of the environment (not a sterile OR) and time frame - a bigger infection risk. I see it ending badly.

    AND not healthy either as a weight loss plan. You aren't fixing the problem - you are finding a work around instead.
  • SerenaKitty
    SerenaKitty Posts: 142
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    **** no.

    I wouldn't get a patch of plastic mesh sewn into my tongue, either.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    A full one-third of people going down this path put all the weight right back on. Maintaining a sensible diet post-surgery is crucial for long term weight control success.

    Which really begs the question of why not just do that in the first place...
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
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    Ever heard of Pavlov? Associating eating with pain will not lead to a healthy relationship with food, and may likely make it worse.
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    What a fantastic post. I understand the point of this will be lost on many people, but I get it.

    Why have the surgery in the first place, when setting a calorie limit, practicing portion control and incorporating exercise is free and without risk?
  • _Josee_
    _Josee_ Posts: 625 Member
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    Is this real ?!?
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    It was rather stupid and irresponsible of the OP to post this. No matter if it's a wind up or real seeing this the chance is that some desperate or stupid individual will try this. Hopefully the topic will be removed.
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    Reread the post - she's not advocating it in anyway. She's making a well thought out comparison to bariatric surgery.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Reread the post - she's not advocating it in anyway. She's making a well thought out comparison to bariatric surgery.

    This. And it wasn't the OP's point, it was something she heard on the radio.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Ummm no.

    And I get that the point of the gum cutting is crazy, but please consider in the future that posts like these give ideas to people looking for creative ideas to starve themselves.

    Someone out there is going to read this and go "gee, I hadn't thought of that idea. Doesn't sound that bad. I will have to try that"
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    :huh:
  • djxil
    djxil Posts: 357
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    I cannot imagine, harming yourself, ever to be a healthy thing. I get piercing and tattoos, plastic surgery but mutilation really disturbs me. We are only on this earth, in this form for a brief moment, I prefer to celebrate and learn balance in all things and activities.

    Trust me, I am still learning, lost the manual when I was born.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
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    srsly?
  • adiostrasero
    adiostrasero Posts: 127 Member
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    Lol, the point of this post is ALREADY lost on most of the people who replied!

    You are supposed to be disgusted by the idea of cutting your gums. The comparison is meant to make you think about why this isn't socially acceptable, but having bariatric surgery is. It isn't meant to be taken as an actual weight loss technique.

    To those of you who say that the poster is irresponsible ... IMO, you should never censor yourself just because some people are too stupid to understand you. If people are seeking out extreme and dangerous weight loss strategies, they're going to find plenty on the internet regardless, and they most likely won't be starting with My Fitness Pal.

    smh...
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