FDA approves weight loss stomach pump device

14567810»

Replies

  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    TR0berts wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »

    I had gum surgery last year with stitches in the front of my mouth for over two weeks, I nearly went bonkers. That was the most terrible two weeks of my life. The worst part of this story was the gum surgery didn't take and I had to do it again. I guarantee everyone that stitches in your mouth is no fun whatsoever, I couldn't imagine someone requesting this sort of torture.

    Yep 4 wisdom tooth removal....over 100 stitches and a mouth butchered. No way woukd I ever do the tongue patch

    Like I'd rather gouge my eye out!

    Painkillers lasted about 20 minutes and I looked like I had been used as a punching bag....worst pain ever and I've been left with a jaw that clicks and every now and again locks. Enforced liquid diet that week. I was cut from top to bottom and from jaw to fangs top and bottom......

    I'm having a bad image of you going somewhere with a significant other and getting looks.

    Oh that was fun......I've never made an assumption about why a person looks bruised and battered since.

    True story:
    My wife had her wisdom teeth removed and after the procedure they had me sign a form promising not to leave her alone for the next 24 hours (or something like that) because of having been put under and bleeding risks, stuff like that.

    So they release her and we have to go into Walmart to pick up her prescription. Thing is, she's still barely conscious! The anesthesia just stuck with her so well that she was basically dozing in and out but mostly out.
    So I help her out of the car...and she can hardly walk! I basically held her up and we slowly made our way to the entrance where she had to stop and take a break before we pressed onward to the electric buggies.
    Then she opens her mouth to talk and her teeth are just covered in blood. A lady sees her and (very concerned) asks me "is she ok?!" And I tell her yeah, she just had her wisdom teeth removed and we're here to get her prescription.
    So we press on to the carts and I get her into one of the electric wheelchairs where she just slumps forward. She can't even try to drive the thing.
    So here I am, leaning over and driving the electric wheelchair while walking alongside it and holding her back from slumping forward to keep pressure off her face and to keel her from drooling blood.
    And of course it took forever for them to get the prescription ready even though it's been called in...
    Talk about the most uncomfortable trip to Walmart ever.

    Really, the fact that so many people stared but didn't say anything kind of makes me worry about what if some dude does beat the snot out of his wife and then takes her into that Walmart.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    TR0berts wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »

    I had gum surgery last year with stitches in the front of my mouth for over two weeks, I nearly went bonkers. That was the most terrible two weeks of my life. The worst part of this story was the gum surgery didn't take and I had to do it again. I guarantee everyone that stitches in your mouth is no fun whatsoever, I couldn't imagine someone requesting this sort of torture.

    Yep 4 wisdom tooth removal....over 100 stitches and a mouth butchered. No way woukd I ever do the tongue patch

    Like I'd rather gouge my eye out!

    Painkillers lasted about 20 minutes and I looked like I had been used as a punching bag....worst pain ever and I've been left with a jaw that clicks and every now and again locks. Enforced liquid diet that week. I was cut from top to bottom and from jaw to fangs top and bottom......

    I'm having a bad image of you going somewhere with a significant other and getting looks.

    Oh that was fun......I've never made an assumption about why a person looks bruised and battered since.

    True story:
    My wife had her wisdom teeth removed and after the procedure they had me sign a form promising not to leave her alone for the next 24 hours (or something like that) because of having been put under and bleeding risks, stuff like that.

    So they release her and we have to go into Walmart to pick up her prescription. Thing is, she's still barely conscious! The anesthesia just stuck with her so well that she was basically dozing in and out but mostly out.
    So I help her out of the car...and she can hardly walk! I basically held her up and we slowly made our way to the entrance where she had to stop and take a break before we pressed onward to the electric buggies.
    Then she opens her mouth to talk and her teeth are just covered in blood. A lady sees her and (very concerned) asks me "is she ok?!" And I tell her yeah, she just had her wisdom teeth removed and we're here to get her prescription.
    So we press on to the carts and I get her into one of the electric wheelchairs where she just slumps forward. She can't even try to drive the thing.
    So here I am, leaning over and driving the electric wheelchair while walking alongside it and holding her back from slumping forward to keep pressure off her face and to keel her from drooling blood.
    And of course it took forever for them to get the prescription ready even though it's been called in...
    Talk about the most uncomfortable trip to Walmart ever.

    Really, the fact that so many people stared but didn't say anything kind of makes me worry about what if some dude does beat the snot out of his wife and then takes her into that Walmart.

    Good thing you didn't wind up on People of Wal-Mart! :D
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    TR0berts wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »

    I had gum surgery last year with stitches in the front of my mouth for over two weeks, I nearly went bonkers. That was the most terrible two weeks of my life. The worst part of this story was the gum surgery didn't take and I had to do it again. I guarantee everyone that stitches in your mouth is no fun whatsoever, I couldn't imagine someone requesting this sort of torture.

    Yep 4 wisdom tooth removal....over 100 stitches and a mouth butchered. No way woukd I ever do the tongue patch

    Like I'd rather gouge my eye out!

    Painkillers lasted about 20 minutes and I looked like I had been used as a punching bag....worst pain ever and I've been left with a jaw that clicks and every now and again locks. Enforced liquid diet that week. I was cut from top to bottom and from jaw to fangs top and bottom......

    I'm having a bad image of you going somewhere with a significant other and getting looks.

    Oh that was fun......I've never made an assumption about why a person looks bruised and battered since.

    True story:
    My wife had her wisdom teeth removed and after the procedure they had me sign a form promising not to leave her alone for the next 24 hours (or something like that) because of having been put under and bleeding risks, stuff like that.

    So they release her and we have to go into Walmart to pick up her prescription. Thing is, she's still barely conscious! The anesthesia just stuck with her so well that she was basically dozing in and out but mostly out.
    So I help her out of the car...and she can hardly walk! I basically held her up and we slowly made our way to the entrance where she had to stop and take a break before we pressed onward to the electric buggies.
    Then she opens her mouth to talk and her teeth are just covered in blood. A lady sees her and (very concerned) asks me "is she ok?!" And I tell her yeah, she just had her wisdom teeth removed and we're here to get her prescription.
    So we press on to the carts and I get her into one of the electric wheelchairs where she just slumps forward. She can't even try to drive the thing.
    So here I am, leaning over and driving the electric wheelchair while walking alongside it and holding her back from slumping forward to keep pressure off her face and to keel her from drooling blood.
    And of course it took forever for them to get the prescription ready even though it's been called in...
    Talk about the most uncomfortable trip to Walmart ever.

    Really, the fact that so many people stared but didn't say anything kind of makes me worry about what if some dude does beat the snot out of his wife and then takes her into that Walmart.

    Good thing you didn't wind up on People of Wal-Mart! :D

    I double checked, I didn't see him either, phew!!
  • MorganMoreaux
    MorganMoreaux Posts: 691 Member
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    MissusMoon 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

    The thing is, you're not allowed to eat crap with this device. You are closely monitored to eat a "lifestyle changing diet". You also don't qualify if you have a history of eating disorder. It just has no point in my opinion since you will be dieting anyway.

    Problem is, they can't possibly be monitored 24/7. If they ate and digested the healthy diet and then gorged on whatever and pumped it out, how would it be known?

    Weight gain maybe? I wonder what action would be taken if a patient were to gain weight while using this? I mean, would they be denied the reset after 115 cycles? Given more intense therapy? Be allowed to continue on anyway? Be given a recommendation for WLS?

    If they're that driven to over consume and try to cheat, no doubt they will figure out how to reset the count. I have a light emitting facial mask that does light treatment, it's programmed "quit" after 25 times. I'm supposed to buy a new one. What it actually does is drain the battery. I can short the circuit and the count resets, add a new battery (rechargeable) and I continue to use it. There will be work around a with this pump.
  • akf2000
    akf2000 Posts: 278 Member
    edited June 2016
    I was just watching an episode of Supersize vs Superskinny and they mentioned this device, and the show is from 2 years ago. It's here from the 26min mark (you get to see it working)

    WARNING: contains scenes of surgery
    https://youtu.be/63YdGZkpsao?t=1551
  • AuroraGeorge8393
    AuroraGeorge8393 Posts: 100 Member
    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 was available in Europe first. It is not an "American thing". Though I don't entirely blame you for making that assumption.
  • AuroraGeorge8393
    AuroraGeorge8393 Posts: 100 Member
    Of course the idea is disturbing. But is it a possible way back for those who are extremely obese, to the point where they are unable to move on their own, or have drastically reduced mobility? You know that's generally a death sentence.

    If something like this can get a person down to a more manageable level of obesity at which they can move and are not in imminent danger of death, then the usual tools of education and discipline can kick in at that point. If it's going to save lives, I won't argue with it.

    I do understand who some people are worried about risks of developing bulimia, though - this is basically medically sanctioned purging. But in some cases that might be worth the risk, if it's that or dying.

    This is basically my take on the matter.

    It is easy for me to sit here, as someone who has never been morbidly obese, and argue that these devices should never be used. I might feel differently if I had a BMI of 45 and found it difficult to move, let alone truly exercise. This is meant to be used as a last resort for individuals who are morbidly obese - not as a device to help someone lose a few (or even a few dozen) vanity pounds. It is also meant to be used in conjunction with dietary changes.
    So patients will hopefully be learning new and healthier eating habits to help them maintain the loss.

    Who am I to pass judgment?

    I just feel fortunate that I'm not in position where my doctor is encouraging me to have this procedure.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    TR0berts wrote: »
    So, it's basically automated bulimia? OK, then.

    Basically, yes. But without the esophageal damage.

    And hopefully without the risk of heart strain that often comes with bulimia.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    msf74 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).

    That FDA statement indicates that the device will only be used after non surgical weight loss therapy has failed to achieve or maintain weight loss had failed and that eligible patients will be assisted with a lifestyle programme to help with healthier choices. It also states that patients will be the subject of regular checks.

    This, much like any invasive procedure won't be the first port of call.

    All depends on the Doctor. I have two friends who had gastric bypass without all the backup behavior modification help I have read about on here--6 months of diet and exercise first, etc. One is about to have her second surgery because she's stretched out her stomach and the second is back on insulin and considering operation #2. All insurance approved.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    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.

    I need "Very Scary" button to click on at the bottom of posts.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    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
    Psychgrrl 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: 247 Member
    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
    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
    Dnarules 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
    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
    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
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    Alluminati 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
    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
    Psychgrrl 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.