Pacemaker for weight loss

Another Weight Loss Scheme

Here’s a quick fix to lose weight. And it only costs $23,000.

Researchers in England have developed a weight-loss device called Gastropace. It’s a small, battery-powered unit that is implanted in the abdomen and sends electric signals to muscles in the stomach wall, slowing digestion in the intestine. Result: The brain is tricked into feeling less hungry and you consume less food.

Here’s my first question: Is slowing down digestion in the intestine really a good idea?

And my second: How do you change the battery?

The procedure to implant a Gastropace lasts about 45 minutes and requires only a brief hospital stay. After that, you’re just not very hungry anymore. Dr. Phil Thomas, the medical director of England’s National Centre of Obesity, told BBC News that Gastropace “helps patients lose weight without having to diet.”

Amazing, isn’t it? Forget about nutrition. Forget about planning and sticking with a balanced, wholesome diet that addresses your particular needs. Just eat anything you like (but less of it), lose weight and be happy – even if it means you have to become an FCC-approved device.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

“Pacemaker ‘Can Control Appetite'” BBC News 1/19/04, news.bbc.co.uk