Surgically-Assisted Bulimia? YES, This Is Real!
Posted by Dr. Lori Arnold
Ok, so at first I thought this was a hoax. I watched a video and laughed a bit at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. Then I watched Stephen Colbert’s report on this device and realized most others thought this was just as crazy as I did! I was beyond shocked when I watched the original newscast on a credible source a few weeks ago. The FDA did indeed approve a device called the Aspire Assist. This is not an Urban Legend and will not be discounted on SNOPES. It is REAL!
The Aspire Assist is a weight loss device with the indication for weight loss to assist those who have difficulty losing weight with other means. Apparently this is the alternative to a gastric bypass without taking out a portion of the stomach or diverting digestion. It looks very much like assisted bulimia to me!
In order to reap the benefits of this device, it requires the surgical insertion of a tube through the abdominal wall directly into the stomach and is connected to a on/off valve that remains in place on your belly. After you eat a meal, rather than throw it up, you go directly to the toilet and open the valve to spill the contents into the loo. By doing this you divert the food from entering the intestines, therefore, limiting the absorption of your food. The upside, you can eat whatever you want, enjoy the taste of the food, and then a few minutes later purge from your system! Gross!
The surgical insertion of this tube has a whole host of issues related to this mechanism including the chance of horrible, maybe even life-threatening infections, increased surgical risks, and worst of all, surgically-induced nutrient depletions! If you divert your food into a tube instead of via the regular pathway, you lose all the valuable nutrients from your food and induce a malabsorption-type syndrome.
This device may plague you with a new host of issues, though you will be skinnier, now you will start seeing your HAIR FALL OUT, hypothyroidism, bowel issues and stagnancy from limited use, increased chance of bad bacteria overgrowth due to reduced stimulation of stomach acid and enzymes, increased chance of osteoporosis from not absorbing important bone building/strengthening nutrients, lack of vitamin D causing decreased immunity and increased infections, brain fog and depression from lack of nutrients that supply important vitamins and minerals for brain health…and I could go on and on.
My advice is simple, JUST SAY NO! Find yourself a talented health coach and do this the right way. There is no such thing as a quick fix and there always is an underlying issue related to any weight gain.