You might think that hitting the gym sounds like a drastic solution to weight loss, but wait till you hear this.
A new device has been approved for use in the United States that allows obese people to turn on a ‘tap’ connected to their gut and empty their meals into the toilet after eating.
The AspireAssist device is surgically placed into a person’s abdomen so that 20-30 minutes after eating they can turn it on and empty their stomach into a toilet.
Once the valve is opened it takes approximately five to 10 minutes to empty the food matter in your stomach, but beware of the chunks.
Kathy Crothall, Head of Aspire Bariatrics, warned of potential obstacles: “You get some solid chunks. If a patient doesn’t chew their food very carefully they won’t get anything out of this device".
Not only do you need to properly chew your food, but there are strict guidelines about using the device on patients suffering with eating disorders or psychological problems around food.
It is only to be used on patients with a BMI between 35 and 55 who have failed to lose weight by other means. The device removes approximately 30% of calories consumed in every meal.
Clinical trials of 11 patients, after a year they had on average lost 12.1% of their body weight compared to the 3.6% of patients not using the AspireAssist.
Although there aren't plans to bring it across the pond any time soon, it might be worth bearing in mind as NHS England released a report in February 2016 that revealed 24% of adults in England are obese and a further 36% are overweight.
