Researchers develop device to force a liquid diet.
- Thread starter Specter Von Baren
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Ok I guess, if it helps. Then again, not sure how much restriction to liquids actually would help. Seems like something you could get around fairly easily, with the wide variety of horrendously sugary and fatty stuff you can drink out there. Also, only lets you open your mouth 2 millimeters, but does not impede speech? Maybe if you're a chronic mumbler, yes.
On second thought, no, no point in looking for a silver lining, whatever benefits there may be seems firmly counter by being a really stupid idea
On second thought, no, no point in looking for a silver lining, whatever benefits there may be seems firmly counter by being a really stupid idea
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I have no words. That's one of the most ludicrous and ill-conceived things I've seen in ages.
It really makes me happy that we can both emphatically agree on something.
At the very least, there was surely a better way for them to word this.
I guess it's better than putting a tube down someone's throat.
Then again, wouldn't be surprised if this already violates Geneva Convention by existing.
Then again, wouldn't be surprised if this already violates Geneva Convention by existing.
Well, it's not the stupidest thing I've seen recently, but c'mon, it took untold generations of evolution to get us here, our reptilian forebears would be disappointed.
The only thing I could see this used for is people who have that disorder that makes them eat random shit. Like people who obsessively eat their hair, and drywall, and shit like that.
But as a weight loss tool, it's fucking dumb.
But as a weight loss tool, it's fucking dumb.
Well that's quite reminiscent of past horror female contraceptive devices. I would only slightly hesitate to assume the lead researcher behind this is also a passionate proponent of phrenology too. 
I think it's braces that are magnets that if you open your mouth will painfully yank on your teeth thus causing incredible pain.
And hopefully not rip a tooth out, or fuck with a cellphone you're trying to talk on, or a spoon for your soup. I think I'd prefer the boots to lock my teeth together.
As weird and nightmarish as this looks, it actually seems like it could be kind of useful for a small number of people whose weight is making them seriously ill, who have run out of options and who need to lose weight quickly to undergo surgery or to avoid serious health problems. It does seem considerably less risky and invasive than a lot of the alternative treatments.
And sure, you could still drink industrial quantities of soda or jars of mayonnaise. One person in the trial, for example, apparently continued to eat chocolate by melting it, but I think that kind of illustrates the problem the device is designed to deal with. These are people who are very sick and have lost control of their weight. If something has a good chance of helping them to lose weight for a couple of weeks so that they can have surgery, then that seems good.
The main issue here seems to be the institution making weird like claims like that this device will "fight the global obesity epidemic" which make it sound like it's designed for routine weight loss rather than a small number of emergency cases who need to prepare for surgery.
And sure, you could still drink industrial quantities of soda or jars of mayonnaise. One person in the trial, for example, apparently continued to eat chocolate by melting it, but I think that kind of illustrates the problem the device is designed to deal with. These are people who are very sick and have lost control of their weight. If something has a good chance of helping them to lose weight for a couple of weeks so that they can have surgery, then that seems good.
The main issue here seems to be the institution making weird like claims like that this device will "fight the global obesity epidemic" which make it sound like it's designed for routine weight loss rather than a small number of emergency cases who need to prepare for surgery.
So, it seems like there are two components. There are bolts which prevent the mouth from opening very far, and then there are magnets which engage when you bite down so chewing becomes extremely difficult. It doesn't sound like much fun to wear, but again it's an emergency measure. It's not designed for routine weight loss.
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Yeah liquid diet is not a cure for being fat or for bad eating, because there is plenty you can drink that will make you fat still. Like Milkshakes.
What i think this is a better practical use for is what I mentioned above for people with those rare eating disorders where they are compelled to eat things that aren't actually food, like hair, drywall, and other non-food objects.
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I mean its the same principle, keep the jaw locked shut. This just looks like a different design with much stupider marketing... partially since from the image it doesn't appear you even could use it for aiding in healing a broken jaw, with just what appears to be magnetic points you would be more at risk of breaking things further.
The patients in the trial were all issued with an emergency key to allow them to disengage the device themselves if they had a problem with it. They could have just used the key and gone out and eaten their body weight in cheesecake. The point is not to make it impossible to ingest calories, but to act as an extra barrier to compulsive eating. These people all agreed or volunteered to have the device fitted, so they were clearly motivated on some level.
We're talking about people who have eating disorders, who have a psychological compulsion to eat. Most of the time they may be able to control it themselves, but sometimes they might not resulting in a repeating pattern of binge eating, depression and guilt leading to more binge eating. For some of those people, having a physical barrier to stop them eating whatever they are compelled to may be all they need to stay in control.
The disorder is called pica. And no, I think that's a terrible idea.
For one, pica is often non-psychogenic. It is a symptom of some physiological deficiency that a person isn't getting in their diet, and people with Pica are often malnourished or have comorbid eating disorders like anorexia. People with pica may enjoy or crave a certain kind of feeling or sensory feedback which they get from eating non-food items, in which case it's very important that they are able to get that feedback through other means (for example, by chewing gum or eating foods that replicate the sensation the person craves).
Above all, people with pica need to learn to meet whatever need they are meeting with pica through normal activity, which includes normal eating. Trying to restrain someone's ability to eat would be incredibly counterproductive to that person. If someone is literally trying to eat things that will harm or kill them, then the solution is for them not to be around those things, not to try and stop them eating altogether.
It seems like the point is actually to restrict the act of chewing while having as little impact as possible on other jaw movements. Locking the jaw shut completely certainly doesn't seem like the goal.
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still probably shouldn't be eating drywall. Or chunks of metal.
Fair enough, it was the only practical thing I could think of for this device. But according to that information then this device is basically useless.
While a barrier for binge eating is fine, this wouldn't stop that. It would only change the binge eating habits. Instead of cheese burgers it'll turn into milkshakes or something. Trying to lock out a persons mouth is not likely to stop nor help weight loss.
Hell even if they focused on liquid diet and did things like smoothies, that's still a shitload of calories and sugar. Even though it's fruit, it's way too much fruit to have at once and you loose a lot of benefits of fruit by blending that shit together, usually with chocolate and frozen yogurt.
Just seems like an all-around bad idea.
Your body doesn't necessarily know that.
The way the gut and brain interact and why it is that we want to eat the things we want to eat is still deeply, deeply mysterious to us.
Pica is actually very common in pregnant people, for example, because the increased nutritional need tends to make people more vulnerable to temporary deficiencies.
Fun fact, there is a common misconception that pregnant women need to eat for two, because baby, and double their caloric intake and its not true.
An average sized healthy woman with a single baby pregnancy doesn't need to increase caloric intake the first trimester, up by 300 in the second, and to a max of up by 450 in the third. And that's like an extra cup of grilled chicken breast and rice in the third trimester.
And weird cravings are associated with mineral and vitamin needs, and taking a daily vitamin pill and leafy greens is usually enough. The whole pickles dipped in mayo with hot sauce and boysenberry syrup nacho sandwich shit is completely unnecessary and usually not helpful.