Segway-makers invent gadget that pumps food out of stomach

TORONTO – If you’re in the middle of eating lunch, you should probably stop reading this story.

The makers of Segway had those who love to eat and hate to exercise on their minds with their latest invention.

They’ve created a new device, called the AspireAssist, that literally vacuums the food right out of the stomach before meals are digested.

The controversial device targeting those dealing with weight issues is garnering plenty of attention from the media and medical community alike, with most calling the machine “medically assisted bulimia.”

A thin silicone rubber tube is placed inside the stomach, connecting to a poker-chip sized “skin-port” on the abdomen.

Twenty minutes after eating, users of the AspireAssist attach a bag and handheld device to the skin port, which pumps the food out of the top portion of the stomach. The company that made the device, Aspire Bariatrics, suggests that it can remove about 30 per cent of food from the stomach before calories are absorbed.

The bag’s contents are then thrown into the toilet.

Watch the video explanation here.

Clearly it’s not meant for the faint-hearted, or those of us who can’t quite stomach the gag-inducing idea.

But it works, the company alleges.

In a one-year trial with 24 obese patients, about 49 per cent of excess weight – or about 45 pounds – was shed, according to an ABC News report.

“I recognize that this concept sounds grotesque at first, but you have to consider what else is out there,” Aspire CEO Katherine Crothall told the Toronto Star.

“This is not a sort of fly-by-the-night weight loss gimmick. It’s a very serious therapy for morbidly obese people who want to lose weight, and it’s a very viable alternative to conventional bariatric surgery.”

It’s already available in some parts of Europe, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand, and it’s undergoing Food and Drug Administration trials in the United States.

The Star reports that applications to Health Canada are already in the works, so the pump could be coming soon to Canada.

Meanwhile, doctors are skeptical of its usefulness, suggesting the device resembles a “bulimia machine.”

“From a medical point of view, I’m concerned about the loss of not only stomach content, but also of vital electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium and calcium from the stomach content. This could have a debilitating effect on other organ systems,” Dr. Manny Alvarez tells Fox News.

Others question infections, leakages, lack of nutrient absorption and other issues that could stem from using the machine.

It’s encountering some roadblocks, though. The Independent in the UK is reporting that “clogging” occurs when the pump tries to break up large foods.

Patients have had to avoid eating cauliflower, broccoli, Chinese food, stir fry, snow peas, pretzels, chips and steak.

Looks like chicken wings, hamburgers, and chocolate cake are fair game, though.