Extreme weight loss: ‘abdominal vomiting’ device AspireAssist approved by the FDA - TomoNews
- 8 years ago
KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA — The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a weight loss device that uses an external pump to drain stomach contents into the toilet.
The device, known as the AspireAssist, is manufactured by Pennsylvania company Aspire Bariatrics. It is roughly the size of a smartphone and can be easily stored in a small bag.
AspireAssist is connected to a port on the user’s stomach, which is installed via surgery. The food flows into a pre-installed tube inside the stomach into the device once the lever is switched on, and drains directly into the toilet.
The user can pump some water into the stomach with the device’s reservoir to loosen the food particles inside the stomach when experiencing blockage.
The company says only a third of the food will be drained, so that the body still has enough calories to function.
The device has been called “assisted bulimia” by some critics. Its side effects include nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea.
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 38 percent of American adults and 17 percent of teenagers are obese.
The FDA has approved AspireAssist to be used on adults with a body mass index of 35 to 55 who have not been able to lose weight with other methods. Clinical results show the device has helped users to lose an average of over 12 percent of their body weight.
The device, known as the AspireAssist, is manufactured by Pennsylvania company Aspire Bariatrics. It is roughly the size of a smartphone and can be easily stored in a small bag.
AspireAssist is connected to a port on the user’s stomach, which is installed via surgery. The food flows into a pre-installed tube inside the stomach into the device once the lever is switched on, and drains directly into the toilet.
The user can pump some water into the stomach with the device’s reservoir to loosen the food particles inside the stomach when experiencing blockage.
The company says only a third of the food will be drained, so that the body still has enough calories to function.
The device has been called “assisted bulimia” by some critics. Its side effects include nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea.
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 38 percent of American adults and 17 percent of teenagers are obese.
The FDA has approved AspireAssist to be used on adults with a body mass index of 35 to 55 who have not been able to lose weight with other methods. Clinical results show the device has helped users to lose an average of over 12 percent of their body weight.