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

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

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

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

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

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