FDA approves weight loss stomach pump device

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  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    MissusMoon wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    I can't imagine resorting to something like that. It just seems cheaper, less painful, less effort to eat less calories in the first place.

    The article says the device is currently available in Europe. People all around the world buy and do dumb things instead of just watching their calorie intake.

    not sure this is any different than gastric bypass or band surgery????

    Less invasive maybe....

    I agree it's freakin' gross, disgusting and it's sad people are and are going to do it.

    I think it's different. People get full faster when they've had those procedures. In theory, they learn to eat better portions.

    This, this....it leaves me aghast. I don't have a problem with medical tools to help people generally speaking. But this...where is the learning to be healthy part? It's basically enabling a person to binge and purge. Given the new shuttle thing that's being tested, which is like gastric bypass but a temporary balloon, I don't see why the world needs something like this.

    Good gawd.

    The balloon will likely have a higher risk of side effects than a g-tube. It's a safe method for weight loss for those that haven't been able to do it on their own and are in desperate need of weight loss. The learning to eat healthy should come from counseling that goes along with it.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    edited June 2016
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    and here in Canada they have developed a Deep brain stimulation operation to help combat eating disorders..smh...

    Sorry but US is screwed up...

    The device is already being used in Europe. I'm sure Canada won't be far behind. ;)

    Edit because of reading problems :smiley:
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    Mentali wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    I don't understand why people are worrying about eating disorders. Do they worry about eating disorders for bariatric surgery? This has the same general requirements - must be at a high BMI, must have tried to lose weight through other means, must be in a situation where weight loss is the most healthy thing they can do for themselves. It seems like completely unnecessary worry, people looking for reasons to be angry at this device because they think it's gross without actually being logical about it. In fact, this is just the feeding tube given to anorexic patients in reverse, and without inpatient. Seems like a great tool for someone with BED or other kinds of disordered binge eating.

    I think it's gross but I might think differently if I had a BMI of 45 and had been struggling for years to lose weight and knew that if I didn't lose weight I would be in mortal danger very soon. You know what's also gross? Colostomy bags. That doesn't mean they shouldn't exist; it just means that medical intervention is sometimes necessarily gross.

    Man, the people on this forum are so judgy and irrational sometimes.

    What would be "logical" is educating people and giving them what they need to learn how to eat properly for a lifetime rather than impanting a device which allows them to continue engaging in destructive eating habits yet purge their bodies of the food (which also carries a high likelihood that the device will be overused and the patient could suffer from malnutrition even while binging).

    Yes, which is why this is designed to be used in conjunction with nutrition and exercise counseling - which was proven to work in their testing in the past to prevent the weight from coming right back.

    There is no likelihood that the person would overuse the device. You know why? Because the device literally has a failsafe in it that only allows it to be used 115 times before being replaced, which comes out to about 1.5 months. If you had bothered to research the thing you're trying to express your opinion on, you would know that....

    But how do you know this, as well. It's a legitimate argument. What's so nutritious about having all food purged from your stomach and let alone having no energy to exercise. Geez

    ETA: I bet you someone would find a way to abuse this device

    How do I know which part? That the device has a failsafe? The results of the study they did on it before it was approved? I can tell you how I know each and every part of my argument, because I read both the articles and the actual description from the FDA about the function of the device. I know that it's designed to be used in conjunction with counseling because that's how it was approved to be used and how the clinical trials were conducted ("Frequent medical visits are also necessary to monitor device use and weight loss and to provide counseling on lifestyle therapies", "The FDA reviewed results from a clinical trial of 111 patients treated with AspireAssist and appropriate lifestyle therapy, and 60 control patients who received only the lifestyle therapy. After one year, patients using AspireAssist lost an average of 12.1 percent of their total body weight compared to 3.6 percent for the control patients." -FDA). I know that it's designed with a failsafe because that's what the FDA approved and what the device is (" The device also has a safety feature that keeps track of the number of times the drain tube is connected to the port and automatically stops working after 115 cycles (approximately five to six weeks of therapy); patients must return for a medical visit to get a replacement part for the device in order to continue the therapy. This safety feature helps ensure patients use the device properly during therapy." -FDA)

    It only removes 30% of the food consumed (also backed up by the FDA). Even if the person were to use it over and over to purge their entire meal, it would take 5-10+ uses of it just to get rid of one meal. Say they ate 2 meals a day and each one took 7 uses to purge (a low estimate on both counts) - the absolute longest they could go without seeing a doctor would be 8 days. Trust me, no one with a BMI of 40 is dying over 8 days of very low calories before they see their doctor.

    Please, please actually do some research. It'll do you good. At least then when you try to argue you have points to back yourself up. A knee-jerk "eww gross" reaction is so unhelpful, especially when you try to justify it and have nothing.

    http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm506625.htm

    These things don't make me feel any better about it.
    The limited usage only means more frequent replacement for those who abuse it. Do you really think that everyone who uses it will be responsible enough to say "oh, I need to make it last?" Do you really think that every physician prescribing this will say "no, sorry, we can't replace this yet because you're using it too much?" Just like patients hooked on prescription painkillers aren't able to continue getting refills long after the real need for the meds is gone...

    And who is saying "eww gross?" I've read a lot of "this is a bad idea" responses but I haven't seen where anyone has said "eww gross."
  • sashayoung72
    sashayoung72 Posts: 441 Member
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    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    I don't understand why people are worrying about eating disorders. Do they worry about eating disorders for bariatric surgery? This has the same general requirements - must be at a high BMI, must have tried to lose weight through other means, must be in a situation where weight loss is the most healthy thing they can do for themselves. It seems like completely unnecessary worry, people looking for reasons to be angry at this device because they think it's gross without actually being logical about it. In fact, this is just the feeding tube given to anorexic patients in reverse, and without inpatient. Seems like a great tool for someone with BED or other kinds of disordered binge eating.

    I think it's gross but I might think differently if I had a BMI of 45 and had been struggling for years to lose weight and knew that if I didn't lose weight I would be in mortal danger very soon. You know what's also gross? Colostomy bags. That doesn't mean they shouldn't exist; it just means that medical intervention is sometimes necessarily gross.

    Man, the people on this forum are so judgy and irrational sometimes.

    What would be "logical" is educating people and giving them what they need to learn how to eat properly for a lifetime rather than impanting a device which allows them to continue engaging in destructive eating habits yet purge their bodies of the food (which also carries a high likelihood that the device will be overused and the patient could suffer from malnutrition even while binging).

    Yes, which is why this is designed to be used in conjunction with nutrition and exercise counseling - which was proven to work in their testing in the past to prevent the weight from coming right back.

    There is no likelihood that the person would overuse the device. You know why? Because the device literally has a failsafe in it that only allows it to be used 115 times before being replaced, which comes out to about 1.5 months. If you had bothered to research the thing you're trying to express your opinion on, you would know that....

    But how do you know this, as well. It's a legitimate argument. What's so nutritious about having all food purged from your stomach and let alone having no energy to exercise. Geez

    ETA: I bet you someone would find a way to abuse this device

    How do I know which part? That the device has a failsafe? The results of the study they did on it before it was approved? I can tell you how I know each and every part of my argument, because I read both the articles and the actual description from the FDA about the function of the device. I know that it's designed to be used in conjunction with counseling because that's how it was approved to be used and how the clinical trials were conducted ("Frequent medical visits are also necessary to monitor device use and weight loss and to provide counseling on lifestyle therapies", "The FDA reviewed results from a clinical trial of 111 patients treated with AspireAssist and appropriate lifestyle therapy, and 60 control patients who received only the lifestyle therapy. After one year, patients using AspireAssist lost an average of 12.1 percent of their total body weight compared to 3.6 percent for the control patients." -FDA). I know that it's designed with a failsafe because that's what the FDA approved and what the device is (" The device also has a safety feature that keeps track of the number of times the drain tube is connected to the port and automatically stops working after 115 cycles (approximately five to six weeks of therapy); patients must return for a medical visit to get a replacement part for the device in order to continue the therapy. This safety feature helps ensure patients use the device properly during therapy." -FDA)

    It only removes 30% of the food consumed (also backed up by the FDA). Even if the person were to use it over and over to purge their entire meal, it would take 5-10+ uses of it just to get rid of one meal. Say they ate 2 meals a day and each one took 7 uses to purge (a low estimate on both counts) - the absolute longest they could go without seeing a doctor would be 8 days. Trust me, no one with a BMI of 40 is dying over 8 days of very low calories before they see their doctor.

    Please, please actually do some research. It'll do you good. At least then when you try to argue you have points to back yourself up. A knee-jerk "eww gross" reaction is so unhelpful, especially when you try to justify it and have nothing.

    http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm506625.htm

    These things don't make me feel any better about it.
    The limited usage only means more frequent replacement for those who abuse it. Do you really think that everyone who uses it will be responsible enough to say "oh, I need to make it last?" Do you really think that every physician prescribing this will say "no, sorry, we can't replace this yet because you're using it too much?" Just like patients hooked on prescription painkillers aren't able to continue getting refills long after the real need for the meds is gone...

    And who is saying "eww gross?" I've read a lot of "this is a bad idea" responses but I haven't seen where anyone has said "eww gross."

    there was a "gross" "nasty" "totally gross" on the 1st page, but 2 were taken out of context, the "totally gross" referred to the partially digested food that would be dumped in the toilet.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    I don't understand why people are worrying about eating disorders. Do they worry about eating disorders for bariatric surgery? This has the same general requirements - must be at a high BMI, must have tried to lose weight through other means, must be in a situation where weight loss is the most healthy thing they can do for themselves. It seems like completely unnecessary worry, people looking for reasons to be angry at this device because they think it's gross without actually being logical about it. In fact, this is just the feeding tube given to anorexic patients in reverse, and without inpatient. Seems like a great tool for someone with BED or other kinds of disordered binge eating.

    I think it's gross but I might think differently if I had a BMI of 45 and had been struggling for years to lose weight and knew that if I didn't lose weight I would be in mortal danger very soon. You know what's also gross? Colostomy bags. That doesn't mean they shouldn't exist; it just means that medical intervention is sometimes necessarily gross.

    Man, the people on this forum are so judgy and irrational sometimes.

    What would be "logical" is educating people and giving them what they need to learn how to eat properly for a lifetime rather than impanting a device which allows them to continue engaging in destructive eating habits yet purge their bodies of the food (which also carries a high likelihood that the device will be overused and the patient could suffer from malnutrition even while binging).

    Yes, which is why this is designed to be used in conjunction with nutrition and exercise counseling - which was proven to work in their testing in the past to prevent the weight from coming right back.

    There is no likelihood that the person would overuse the device. You know why? Because the device literally has a failsafe in it that only allows it to be used 115 times before being replaced, which comes out to about 1.5 months. If you had bothered to research the thing you're trying to express your opinion on, you would know that....

    But how do you know this, as well. It's a legitimate argument. What's so nutritious about having all food purged from your stomach and let alone having no energy to exercise. Geez

    ETA: I bet you someone would find a way to abuse this device

    How do I know which part? That the device has a failsafe? The results of the study they did on it before it was approved? I can tell you how I know each and every part of my argument, because I read both the articles and the actual description from the FDA about the function of the device. I know that it's designed to be used in conjunction with counseling because that's how it was approved to be used and how the clinical trials were conducted ("Frequent medical visits are also necessary to monitor device use and weight loss and to provide counseling on lifestyle therapies", "The FDA reviewed results from a clinical trial of 111 patients treated with AspireAssist and appropriate lifestyle therapy, and 60 control patients who received only the lifestyle therapy. After one year, patients using AspireAssist lost an average of 12.1 percent of their total body weight compared to 3.6 percent for the control patients." -FDA). I know that it's designed with a failsafe because that's what the FDA approved and what the device is (" The device also has a safety feature that keeps track of the number of times the drain tube is connected to the port and automatically stops working after 115 cycles (approximately five to six weeks of therapy); patients must return for a medical visit to get a replacement part for the device in order to continue the therapy. This safety feature helps ensure patients use the device properly during therapy." -FDA)

    It only removes 30% of the food consumed (also backed up by the FDA). Even if the person were to use it over and over to purge their entire meal, it would take 5-10+ uses of it just to get rid of one meal. Say they ate 2 meals a day and each one took 7 uses to purge (a low estimate on both counts) - the absolute longest they could go without seeing a doctor would be 8 days. Trust me, no one with a BMI of 40 is dying over 8 days of very low calories before they see their doctor.

    Please, please actually do some research. It'll do you good. At least then when you try to argue you have points to back yourself up. A knee-jerk "eww gross" reaction is so unhelpful, especially when you try to justify it and have nothing.

    http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm506625.htm

    These things don't make me feel any better about it.
    The limited usage only means more frequent replacement for those who abuse it. Do you really think that everyone who uses it will be responsible enough to say "oh, I need to make it last?" Do you really think that every physician prescribing this will say "no, sorry, we can't replace this yet because you're using it too much?" Just like patients hooked on prescription painkillers aren't able to continue getting refills long after the real need for the meds is gone...

    And who is saying "eww gross?" I've read a lot of "this is a bad idea" responses but I haven't seen where anyone has said "eww gross."

    These are some good points but IDK that I'd say they are reasons for it not be approved. Different things work for different people and obesity really is at crisis level in the US.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Mentali wrote: »
    I don't understand why people are worrying about eating disorders. Do they worry about eating disorders for bariatric surgery? This has the same general requirements - must be at a high BMI, must have tried to lose weight through other means, must be in a situation where weight loss is the most healthy thing they can do for themselves. It seems like completely unnecessary worry, people looking for reasons to be angry at this device because they think it's gross without actually being logical about it. In fact, this is just the feeding tube given to anorexic patients in reverse, and without inpatient. Seems like a great tool for someone with BED or other kinds of disordered binge eating.

    I think it's gross but I might think differently if I had a BMI of 45 and had been struggling for years to lose weight and knew that if I didn't lose weight I would be in mortal danger very soon. You know what's also gross? Colostomy bags. That doesn't mean they shouldn't exist; it just means that medical intervention is sometimes necessarily gross.

    Man, the people on this forum are so judgy and irrational sometimes.

    What would be "logical" is educating people and giving them what they need to learn how to eat properly for a lifetime rather than impanting a device which allows them to continue engaging in destructive eating habits yet purge their bodies of the food (which also carries a high likelihood that the device will be overused and the patient could suffer from malnutrition even while binging).

    Yes, which is why this is designed to be used in conjunction with nutrition and exercise counseling - which was proven to work in their testing in the past to prevent the weight from coming right back.

    There is no likelihood that the person would overuse the device. You know why? Because the device literally has a failsafe in it that only allows it to be used 115 times before being replaced, which comes out to about 1.5 months. If you had bothered to research the thing you're trying to express your opinion on, you would know that....

    But how do you know this, as well. It's a legitimate argument. What's so nutritious about having all food purged from your stomach and let alone having no energy to exercise. Geez

    ETA: I bet you someone would find a way to abuse this device

    How do I know which part? That the device has a failsafe? The results of the study they did on it before it was approved? I can tell you how I know each and every part of my argument, because I read both the articles and the actual description from the FDA about the function of the device. I know that it's designed to be used in conjunction with counseling because that's how it was approved to be used and how the clinical trials were conducted ("Frequent medical visits are also necessary to monitor device use and weight loss and to provide counseling on lifestyle therapies", "The FDA reviewed results from a clinical trial of 111 patients treated with AspireAssist and appropriate lifestyle therapy, and 60 control patients who received only the lifestyle therapy. After one year, patients using AspireAssist lost an average of 12.1 percent of their total body weight compared to 3.6 percent for the control patients." -FDA). I know that it's designed with a failsafe because that's what the FDA approved and what the device is (" The device also has a safety feature that keeps track of the number of times the drain tube is connected to the port and automatically stops working after 115 cycles (approximately five to six weeks of therapy); patients must return for a medical visit to get a replacement part for the device in order to continue the therapy. This safety feature helps ensure patients use the device properly during therapy." -FDA)

    It only removes 30% of the food consumed (also backed up by the FDA). Even if the person were to use it over and over to purge their entire meal, it would take 5-10+ uses of it just to get rid of one meal. Say they ate 2 meals a day and each one took 7 uses to purge (a low estimate on both counts) - the absolute longest they could go without seeing a doctor would be 8 days. Trust me, no one with a BMI of 40 is dying over 8 days of very low calories before they see their doctor.

    Please, please actually do some research. It'll do you good. At least then when you try to argue you have points to back yourself up. A knee-jerk "eww gross" reaction is so unhelpful, especially when you try to justify it and have nothing.

    http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm506625.htm

    These things don't make me feel any better about it.
    The limited usage only means more frequent replacement for those who abuse it. Do you really think that everyone who uses it will be responsible enough to say "oh, I need to make it last?" Do you really think that every physician prescribing this will say "no, sorry, we can't replace this yet because you're using it too much?" Just like patients hooked on prescription painkillers aren't able to continue getting refills long after the real need for the meds is gone...

    And who is saying "eww gross?" I've read a lot of "this is a bad idea" responses but I haven't seen where anyone has said "eww gross."

    there was a "gross" "nasty" "totally gross" on the 1st page, but 2 were taken out of context, the "totally gross" referred to the partially digested food that would be dumped in the toilet.

    I've seen food come from the stomach through a g-tube many times. It is pretty gross.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I'm against this. It totally sounds like assisted bulimia to me. I'm not against weight loss surgery or even the balloon. With those things the goal is to stop the input in the first place. I'm not against it because this is grosser (although it is)

    It's the idea that you can overeat and have a "do over." I don't get how that helps you learn portion control or healthy habits. Yes, maybe in extreme cases where the person is so morbidly obese they need to buy time to learn healthy eating...this might...might have some usefulness. But I doubt it.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
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    Does anyone remember when weight loss surgery was approved, and what kinds of things people said about it at the time?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    Does anyone remember when weight loss surgery was approved, and what kinds of things people said about it at the time?

    But it doesn't work in a massive percentage of patients because they didn't learn anything about how to eat.....same with this...how can you learn if you can purge what you eat.

    How do you learn if you can't stop overeating? How do you live if you are morbidly obese and can't stop overeating?
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    Does anyone remember when weight loss surgery was approved, and what kinds of things people said about it at the time?

    But it doesn't work in a massive percentage of patients because they didn't learn anything about how to eat.....same with this...how can you learn if you can purge what you eat.

    How do you learn if you can't stop overeating? How do you live if you are morbidly obese and can't stop overeating?

    What do you mean by "can't stop overeating" and how would this help them to stop?
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    I don't agree with this stupid device. I think it's an absolute waste of food and pure laziness.
    However, I have a cousin with Autism and he's about to hit 500 pounds. He's 25 and my aunt and uncle can't keep food in the house because he eats it all. (I went over there with a container of blue cheese dressing, he drank it all) My sister is getting married in 3 weeks and he can't come because he can't fit into an airplane seat. There is no changing him. For someone like him, I think this would be good for him.
  • suzyjane1972
    suzyjane1972 Posts: 612 Member
    edited June 2016
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    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    Does anyone remember when weight loss surgery was approved, and what kinds of things people said about it at the time?

    But it doesn't work in a massive percentage of patients because they didn't learn anything about how to eat.....same with this...how can you learn if you can purge what you eat.

    How do you learn if you can't stop overeating? How do you live if you are morbidly obese and can't stop overeating?

    It won't fix anything in a very large percentage of people because they will be unwilling to change how they eat. How will being able to purge your binge teach someone in that mindset. in any lifestyle change you HAVE to go into it wanting to change....if you don't you won't. Which is why a large majority of wls patients become larger than ever within a few years. These patients need therapy to get to the root of WHY they can't/won't stop overeating.
  • skinnyforhi
    skinnyforhi Posts: 340 Member
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    This makes no sense, on several levels:

    Katherine D. Crothall, president and CEO of Aspire Bariatrics, the maker of the AspireAssist, said she understood why people might find the idea of the pump "gross" but insisted it offered a viable way for morbidly obese people to drop pounds.

    "Some people manage to lose weight on a diet, but the kinds of changes you need to make to keep it off are probably not sustainable for many," she said. "There's a lot to be said for people being in the driver's seat with their own body, with their own health. This allows a patient to do that while under the care of a physician."

    1) You are in the drivers seat every time you put something into your mouth.

    2) If the kind of changes you need to make on a diet are not sustainable for many, how will these patients keep the weight off?

    Ah, I see. I didn't read down far enough. The above statement is every bit as horrifying as I first thought.

    Crothall said that her company hadn't looked at how weight loss is maintained once the device is removed but was marketing the device for long-term use. She said that trial participants were offered counseling to help them modify their eating habits, but there was only anecdotal evidence that any of them made changes.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
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    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    Does anyone remember when weight loss surgery was approved, and what kinds of things people said about it at the time?

    But it doesn't work in a massive percentage of patients because they didn't learn anything about how to eat.....same with this...how can you learn if you can purge what you eat.

    Put aside the idea of whether or not this new device will be helpful to some people or not. What did people think of WLS when the idea was new and just starting to come to the public's attention?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    edited June 2016
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    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    Does anyone remember when weight loss surgery was approved, and what kinds of things people said about it at the time?

    But it doesn't work in a massive percentage of patients because they didn't learn anything about how to eat.....same with this...how can you learn if you can purge what you eat.

    How do you learn if you can't stop overeating? How do you live if you are morbidly obese and can't stop overeating?

    It won't fix anything in a very large percentage of people because they will be unwilling to change how they eat. How will being able to purge your binge teach someone in that mindset. in any lifestyle change you HAVE to go into it wanting to change....if you don't you won't. Which is why a large majority of wls patients become larger than ever within a few years. These patients need therapy to get to the root of WHY they can't/won't stop overeating.

    Well statistics do back up this thought. No matter what weight loss method (including portion control) is used a very large percentage of patients will gain weight back after losing it. That seems more a reason to keep looking for new options rather than not.

    Wasn't it Einstein that said that insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results (or something like that)?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    xmichaelyx wrote: »
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    Does anyone remember when weight loss surgery was approved, and what kinds of things people said about it at the time?

    But it doesn't work in a massive percentage of patients because they didn't learn anything about how to eat.....same with this...how can you learn if you can purge what you eat.

    How do you learn if you can't stop overeating? How do you live if you are morbidly obese and can't stop overeating?

    As a backpacker, this doesn't compute. The only way I could overeat on a backpacking trip would be if I started eating dirt and rocks. The lesson: Don't surround yourself with food, and suddenly overeating becomes impossible.

    What incredible (and incredibly sad) privilege we have to live at a time and in a place where such gluttony as "I can't stop overeating" can exist.

    While I agree with your last paragraph, I don't understand the point of your first unless you are suggesting we send the morbidly obese on a backpacking weight loss trip.