People are fat because food is so good and they like to eat it. Many weight loss / lipid control schemes lately cheat the body of calories by interfering with nutrient absorbtion. Olestra tastes like fat but is not absorbable and so passes thru the gut undigested. The prescription drug Xenical pharmacologically blocks fat absorbtion, so regular fats again would pass on through. I propose a full gut condom. This would be a capsule which is attached to a rear molar and then swallowed, which then deploys into a distensible thin plastic sleeve as it passes thru the gut. It would end at the colon, as no nutrients are absorbed there but water is, thus enabling intake of fluids. The result: food would taste good and leave you feeling full. However, just like the seagulls who gorge on styrofoam, none of the full feeling translates into absorbed calories. The undigested food passes along until it reaches the colon, where water is resorbed and the rest is passed intact. Granted: this will cause unusual poop. This seems to be something dieters are comfortable with. It will be necessary to change the Gut Condom every few days, and when removed, the dieters can take a vitamin capsule so they do not perish of pellagra.-- bungston, May 27 2003 Xenical info http://www.fda.gov/...1999/20766ptlbl.pdf [bungston, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 06 2004] Gastric Condom http://www.newscien...-avoid-surgery.htmlI am gratified that my humble posting here has led to the development of a wondrous new device. [bungston, Feb 19 2009] If this thing really worked, I am sure somebody would have baked it years ago. I think nature knows better, and if food (and its properties) is digested the way it is then I think all we can do to lose weight is balance our meals and burn fat by working out.
Still, looks like you did good research. + for the effort.-- Pericles, May 27 2003 Imagine it. No, really imagine it. Try really hard. Now swallow.
Do you get a gagging reflex, followed by a mini-anxiety attack? I did.
(-), no cancel that. You are doomed to a deluge of fishbones. I posed a diet surgery idea as one of my first ideas that achieved your goals without having to swallow a condom or any other perceptible drawbacks and it was fishboned to death.-- FloridaManatee, May 27 2003 I do not mean to diminish any emotional issues. I mean only to diminish obesity. Perhaps the Total Gut Condom could be sold as part of a holistic package which includes discussion, exercise, and visualization to help overcome nausea and gagging. Manatee, I am not sure why obesity-themed ideas are so poorly received around here but it does seem to be the case.-- bungston, May 27 2003 Oy. I know people who have had their stomachs stapled, thereby losing much weight, so I don't doubt the effects. However, I doubt this condom would be capable of holding all the food the truly voracious can cram into their stomachs.
I think instead of a condom, you need a liquid based something that coats the stomach and gut walls, preventing or inhibiting food absorption, at least for a certain period of time.
This is also reminiscent of the Romans, who are alleged to have gorged on food, then barfed it all up, just so they could carry on gorging. I do withdraw my gut reaction fishbone, however, since this is no more stupid or extreme than many existing dietary measures.-- DrCurry, May 27 2003 Re: flavored styrofoam: run with it [Prof]!. As regards jutta's comment about being treated like a number, I would argue that reductionism is a fundamental principle of successful applied science. For example, reducing infectious disease down to the microbe ignores the patient's experience of being ill, but has led to the discovery of effective therapies. The compassionate application of these remedies, taking into consideration the human being involved, is what elevates medicine beyond applied science to art. Unfortunately, sometimes, it remains just applied science.-- bungston, May 27 2003 I am really surprised you perceive this as aggressive. Deploying a rubber sheath inside the body is not especially sadistic; the female condom is exactly that. Stomach stapling was mentioned above and it seems to me that this idea would be much less aggressive than that - at least the Total Gut Condom is easily reversible.-- bungston, May 27 2003 Why don't you try it and report back to us?
Have you ever had gastroscopy done? Talk to anyone who has and they will tell you that the sensation of having the endoscope shoved down their esophagus, even with the local anaesthetic, is very, very uncomfortable. I don't think you are taking this into serious consideration.-- waugsqueke, May 27 2003 Oy, while I wouldn't be the first in line to purchase stocks in regard to such a whimsical, more than slightly eccentric contrivance, many accolades for the wicked lot of creativity and high amusement spawned from that thereof. Kudos!-- minicrumpit, Oct 02 2003 Wow. But for the grace of god, and such.-- WcW, Feb 20 2009 random, halfbakery