Mental Health

Pumping, a New Weight Loss Strategy

By Staff Reporter | Update Date: Jan 14, 2013 04:21 AM EST

Weight loss is a topic that has obsessed weight watchers  for years. From pills to lose weight to surgeries to overcome the bulge, people are ready to try anything. Adding to the already existing remedies is Dean Kamen, the inventor of Segway, who along with Aspire Bariatrics has designed a pump to extract food from the stomach before it gets digested, thus allowing a person to eat anything he\she likes without facing the repercussion of extra weight. 

 Aspire Bariatrics and Dean Kamen have applied for the patent of this pump-like device after experimenting on 24 individuals suffering from obesity.

Although this device will not induce weight loss, it will stop people from gaining more weight without dieting.

It has been found that within an hour of eating, the food reaches the stomach for digestion where subsequent calorie absorption takes place. This pump, known as the Aspire Assist Aspiration Therapy System, removes about thirty percent of the undigested food and in doing so, reduces the calorie intake of the body.

The critics, however, remain skeptical of this as they say that it does not address the root cause of obesity. They also fear that this might also discourage obese people from following a healthier lifestyle of regular exercise and balanced food. Some argue that this might also encourage people to be lazy as they would see it as a short cut to reduce weight.

While using the device, it has also been observed that the pipe has a tendency to clog, especially while breaking up the large food particles. There has also come the inevitable comparison with the eating disorder bulimia as both encourage draining out of digested material.

However, the team in Aspire Bariatrics has negated the comparison stating that their system does not cause any eating disorder nor encourage any psychiatric disorders. To ensure this, they have also agreed to screen the patients before treating them.

While other believes that the best way to fight obesity is to eat healthy and exercise daily, one must admit that the idea of being able to eat anything without having to worry about weight gain might appeal to many obese people.

© 2023 Counsel & Heal All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics