Get ready to lose weight by losing your lunch! The U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has just approved a new device that is supposed to drain a portion of a person’s stomach contents.
The AspireAssist device is directed for use by obese people who are at least 22 years of age and have not been able to lose weight despite all other approaches, excluding surgery. This device was developed by a Pennsylvania-based company called Aspire Bariatrics.
The device consists of a pump that is attached to a hose. The hose is surgically implanted in a patient’s stomach which is then used for sucking the food out. This hose is connected to a “disk-shaped port valve” that comes out of patient’s skin, according to a release from the FDA. The patients are supposed to use this device about 20 to 30 minutes after a meal, and are required to open the valve for 10 minutes or so to drain out 30 percent of the calories consumed during the lunch right into the toilet.
Here is a video of how it works:
According to a clinical trial held by the company, a group of 111 people were asked to use the device along with “appropriate lifestyle therapy”, while other 60 people underwent lifestyle therapy without the device. The AspireAssist group using the device lost an average of 12.1 percent of their body weight after a year of this experiment, when compared with a loss of 3.6 percent of body weight for the control group. The FDA reviewed results from this trial and then gave the go-ahead for this device.
If you want to lose you appetite, here is a video showing a trail of how this works on a real person:
According to Dr. William Maisel, deputy director for science and chief scientist at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, the AspireAssist approach will help in providing effective control of calorie absorption. This is a key principle of weight management therapy, and needs to be regularly monitored by the patients and their health-care providers in order to develop healthier eating habits and reduce the unnecessary weight.
There are of course a host of things that could wrong in using this device. This includes side effects like occasional indigestion, nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea. There can also be grave side effects from the placement or removal of the tube, like sore throats , bleeding and pneumonia, and irritations or conditions around the valve on the outside of the body.
Reactions to the device have been 50/50, with some ecstatic while other rather apprehensive. The nutritionist call the device an enabling device not a helping one, and have their doubts over its misuse and side effects.
Here is a video released by the company showing the medical procedure of installing the device:
What do you think about the device?
Is it a healthy option for weight loss, or do you think the side effects overhaul its positives?
Comment below!