Device That Literally Locks Your Mouth Shut To Keep You From Eating Gets Slammed As 'Torture'

The University of Otago in New Zealand is facing some backlash following their release of a "world-first weight-loss device" that more resembled a form of torture from the Middle Ages than a quick fix.

The device, touted by the University as developed to "help fight the global obesity epidemic," fastens onto the molars and locks a person's upper and lower jaw together so that they cannot consume anything but liquids.

People were immediately horrified by the device, with one person saying "it boggles my mind that this was most likely funded."

After getting flamed from all sides of Twitter, Otago quickly backpedaled their original claim that it was to "help fight the global obesity epidemic" and instead focused on people who needed to lose weight in order to have surgery:

But folks were not buying this explanation, especially because it contradicted what lead researcher, Paul Brunton said about the device.

"The main barrier for people for successful weight loss is compliance and this helps them establish new habits, allowing them to comply with a low-calorie diet for a period of time. It really kick-starts the process," Brunton said of the device.

In the 1970s and 1980s, people would often have their jaws wired shut in order to restrict their eating habits and lose weight. However, a study by Vanderbilt University showed that once the wiring was removed, people would gain back all of the weight they'd initially lost.

That does not seem to bode well for this device, which operates in a similar fashion.

Participants in the trial of this device were only allowed to brush their teeth once over the course of seven days, and reported that they felt "occasional discomfort," and that "life in general was less satisfying."

This device's life is not off to a good start, if it has a life ahead of it at all.