The weight loss industry is a beast. Diet culture has permeated every facet of life, and it's hard to go through an average day without being bombarded with messages subtly reminding you to always be losing weight.
This is far from just a media issue, though, as academia is also rife with those same messages. This is most recently seen by an invention created by a New Zealand university that locks people's jaws so they'll eat less.
It's called the DentalSlim Diet Control, and is described on their website as an, "[...] intra-oral device fitted by a dental professional to the upper and lower back teeth. It uses magnetic devices with unique custom-manufactured locking bolts. It allows the wearer to open their mouths only about 2mm, restricting them to a liquid diet, but it allows free speech and doesn’t restrict breathing."
They've run some trials during which participants lost an average of 6.36 kg, or 14 lbs, in two weeks.
“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,” says Professor Paul Brunton, University of Otago's Health Sciences Pro-Vice-Chancellor.
The women in the trial reported struggling to speak, feeling uncomfortable with the device, and that "life, in general, was less satisfying," Unilad reported.
One even admitted to "cheating" by drinking soda and melting chocolate, so it's far from fool proof.
Many called the device 'torture', likening it to the act of wiring jaws shut.
The replies were filled with those urging alternative action in regards to the obesity problem, like the user above, while others brought up the safety issues with this particular method. "[...] if someone vomits while wearing this they will choke to death or aspirate. Also bad for dental hygiene. Can't brush properly or floss. Bad idea all around," wrote another replier.
Like this reply who harkened back to tools of old after seeing this.
With the immediate hate for the invention mixed with the sympathy for those struggling with their weight in the replies, this thread is a nice reminder that these sorts of things will not stand anymore. No one needs to subscribe to archaic weight loss methods to feel good about themselves.
h/t: [Unilad]9https://www.unilad.co.uk/health/weight-loss-device-that-locks-jaw-shut-to-tackle-obesity-sparks-outrage/)
