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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.
Otago and UK researchers have developed a world-first weight-loss device to help fight the global obesity epidemic: an intra-oral device that restricts a person to a liquid diet. Read more: https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/releases/otago830110.html\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/Of6v3uvVbX— University of Otago (@University of Otago) 1624845663
People were immediately horrified by the device, with one person saying "it boggles my mind that this was most likely funded."
For a moment I'd like to move away from LGBT rights onto my other passion: fatphobia.\n\nAs fat people we are taught our suffering is okay and that we should endure any humiliation and pain just to be thin. The volunteers reported no issues. There were, they are just too broken.https://twitter.com/otago/status/1409330977046945798\u00a0\u2026— charles beswick (@charles beswick) 1624930164
\u201cKeep an aspirin between your knees will prevent pregnancy\u201d but make it magnetichttps://twitter.com/otago/status/1409330977046945798\u00a0\u2026— wicked witch of the east bro (@wicked witch of the east bro) 1624928705
Doctors figure out a minimally invasive torture / starvation device.https://twitter.com/otago/status/1409330977046945798\u00a0\u2026— Beyond Bullshit (@Beyond Bullshit) 1624928424
So in other words, encouraging an eating disorder is better than promoting healthy lifestyle changes??? Wowhttps://twitter.com/otago/status/1409330977046945798\u00a0\u2026— Nilla Wafer (@Nilla Wafer) 1624927760
Why do y'all hate fat people so much that dehumanizing technology like this seems like a good idea?https://twitter.com/otago/status/1409330977046945798\u00a0\u2026— a fellow vaccinated ghost (@a fellow vaccinated ghost) 1624926876
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:
To clarify, the intention of the device is not intended as a quick or long-term weight-loss tool; rather it is aimed to assist people who need to undergo surgery and who cannot have the surgery until they have lost weight.— University of Otago (@University of Otago) 1624854445
After two or three weeks they can have the magnets disengaged and device removed. They could then have a period with a less restricted diet and then go back into treatment. This would allow for a phased approach to weight loss supported by advice from a dietician.— University of Otago (@University of Otago) 1624854516
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.
Is... is this clarification meant for Professor Paul Brunton? If so, ouch.pic.twitter.com/FxfNnBbxP0— Giovanni Tiso (@Giovanni Tiso) 1624855899
Except it\u2019s a direct contradiction to what they truly made this for.pic.twitter.com/9Am5e1U5mZ— MJ \ud83c\udf56\ud83c\udf56\ud83c\udf56 (@MJ \ud83c\udf56\ud83c\udf56\ud83c\udf56) 1624895469
This is clearly *not* the framing of press release, which proposes a much wider scope and suggests it as tool for "fighting the global obesity epidemic" and "allowing *long term weight loss* goals to be realised". This is incredibly harmful messaging— Annaliese Johnston (@Annaliese Johnston) 1624854880
No it doesn\u2019t. It says \u201cThe tool could be particularly helpful for those having to lose weight before they can undergo surgery, and for diabetes patients for whom weight loss could initiate remission.\u201d That\u2019s not the same as saying it\u2019s only aimed to those situations as you imply— CJC (@CJC) 1624900944
No, it isn't so narrowly focused. The article says it's for "But for those people who are really struggling - and let\u2019s face it, that\u2019s millions of people across the world - this is a way of getting them back into normal lifestyle diet habits by really pump priming the process."— Rob is wearing a mask and keeping his distance (@Rob is wearing a mask and keeping his distance) 1624895530
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.
Not all change is progress.\n\nBeing ethics back to medicine.https://twitter.com/otago/status/1409330977046945798\u00a0\u2026— Sun \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Sun \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1624926116
This is some torture device.\nNo joke.\nWhy would anyone beyond the medieval century think this is ok?https://twitter.com/otago/status/1409330977046945798\u00a0\u2026— \u4e45\u5fd7\u6e21\u8fba (@\u4e45\u5fd7\u6e21\u8fba) 1624925054
One day, people will look at all of these 'weight loss devices' in a museum of torture and wonder how doctors could ever do such horrific things to people and think that they are helping.\n\nCould this happen in the next 40 years so I could possibly live to see it?https://twitter.com/otago/status/1409330977046945798\u00a0\u2026— Cap'n Kyrie (@Cap'n Kyrie) 1624925006
This is a step in the wrong direction. This is a bad idea.\nBe HORRIFIED people.\n@ElisabethLatha1 @rxkxyxxxxxhttps://twitter.com/otago/status/1409330977046945798\u00a0\u2026— K. Latham (@K. Latham) 1624925601
Just comically evilhttps://twitter.com/otago/status/1409330977046945798\u00a0\u2026— \ud83d\udc41\ufe0f\ud835\ude83\ud835\ude9b\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude9f\ud835\ude98\ud835\ude9b \ud835\ude77\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude97\ud835\ude8d\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude9b\ud835\ude9c\ud835\ude98\ud835\ude97\ud83d\udc41\ufe0f (@\ud83d\udc41\ufe0f\ud835\ude83\ud835\ude9b\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude9f\ud835\ude98\ud835\ude9b \ud835\ude77\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude97\ud835\ude8d\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude9b\ud835\ude9c\ud835\ude98\ud835\ude97\ud83d\udc41\ufe0f) 1624895327
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.