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FDA approves weight loss stomach pump, critics claim ‘assisted bulimia’

Posted at 10:31 AM, Jun 16, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-16 10:31:23-04

WASHINGTON, D.C. -  Have you tried it all? The cheesy at-home workout videos and the crazy diets?

But none of the tricks in the book are dropping the numbers on the scale; so why not try "pumping" your problems away?

Sounds crazy, right?

The FDA approved a device called "Aspire Assist", which supposedly removes 30% of the calories one eats in a meal.

Surgeons make a small incision and insert a tube into one's stomach, then connect a valve to the outside of the abdomen. This allows you to open and drain the contents of your meal right into the toilet.

"Aspire Assist" is meant for obese patients who haven't had any luck with other weight loss methods.

But it's causing some controversy; critics are calling it "assisted bulimia", claiming the device is essentially just helping you "throw up" your food.

The FDA says there's a safety feature which tracks how often you use it and automatically stops working once you hit a certain number.

Hopefully this will continue to only be used by those who truly need it for health reasons!

For everyone else, just remember . . . weight is just a number!