“Horrific” dieting invention slammed online
A newly-invented weight-loss tool that stops people from eating by holding their mouths shut has been criticised and labelled as “horrific” by many online.
Researchers from The University of Otago in New Zealand have claimed the DentalSlim Diet Control is a “world-first weight-loss device to help fight the global obesity epidemic”.
Fitted by a dentist, the device only allows people to open their mouth 2mm, which the university has said restricts “them to a liquid diet”.
“It allows free speech and doesn’t restrict breathing,” they clarified on the University’s website.
In a trial of people based in the city of Dunedin, the university said subjects lost an average of 6.36 kilograms in two weeks while using the device.
Professor Paul Brunton, the lead researcher and University of Otago Health Sciences Pro-Vice Chancellor, said the invention was “effective, safe, and affordable”.
“The main barrier for people for successful weight loss is compliance and this helps them establish new diets, allowing them to comply with a low-calorie diet for a period of time,” he said.
“It really kick-starts the process.”
But, the announcement of the invention on Twitter has seen commenters call the invention “horrific” and compare it to a medieval torture device.
Additionally, the British Dental Journal reported that some of the seven participants in the trial “had trouble pronouncing some words” but “felt tense and embarrassed only occasionally”.
It also noted: “One patient admitted to ‘cheating’, consuming melted chocolate and fizzy drinks.”
Following the backlash online, the University clarified that the device could be removed after two or three weeks and was aimed to help people lose weight for surgery rather than act as a long-term weight loss tool.
Image: The University of Otago / Twitter