Anti-Obesity Device
Fakes Satiety
July 04, 2005
Obese people can be fitted with a device
that fools their brain into thinking they have eaten
to help them lose weight.
The technology, by Transneuronix, comprises a matchbox-sized
pacemaker implanted into the abdomen, linked to electrodes
in the stomach wall.
Experts said it could be a new tool to fight the UK's
obesity problem.
However, it would not work miracles and the user must
still eat a healthy diet and do exercise, they cautioned.
Full up
The device works by triggering the nerves in the stomach
that are involved in digestion.
These tell the brain that the stomach is full so the
individual feels as though they have already eaten even
though they have not.
Similar devices are available on the market.
A surgeon at Aberdeen University, Mr Duff Bruce, has
been trained by US experts how to fit the Transneuronix
device.
He will fit it in three patients in the coming months
as part of a clinical trial.
His colleague, Professor Ian Broom, has referred five
or six other patients to see if they are also suitable
candidates.
Professor Broom, from the department of Clinical Biochemistry
and Metabolic Medicine at The Robert Gordon University,
said: "It will only be suitable for some patients
- they would have to be morbidly obese even to be considered."
However, Transneuronix tells potential patients: "Surgery
is not a cure for the chronic disease of morbid obesity,
but it can be an effective tool to fight the disease.
"Having surgery does not excuse you from a personal
responsibility for your health. If you snack between
meals, do not exercise regularly, and do not participate
in ongoing post-surgical therapeutic support programs,
you can regain weight."
Dr David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum,
said the technology could be "a new tool in the
armoury" for fighting obesity.
"It is potentially very valuable, as it could
provide another less invasive option other than surgery.
"But it will not create miracles. You have to
do all the hard work with it."
Currently, more than 65% of men and 55% of women in
the UK are overweight or obese, official figures suggest.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk
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