The extreme remedy for dieting has outraged social users, but not everything is as it seems: how the dental lock designed for dieting works.
The latest invention of scientists from the University of Otago, in New Zealand, not only represents an extreme remedy to stick to the diet, But it preserves the aesthetics of dental braces or dentures that scare many patients when they have to go to the dentist.
There is even, who, on Twitter, compared the “jaw lock” to a medieval torture device. A bit like it was the food version of the chastity belt.
But what exactly is it all about? And why the fuss on social media?
How does the mouth-sealing device work for dieting
The inventors have called it “the world’s first weight-loss device.” It works in a very simple way: it locks the jaws like a padlock and forces the wearer to consume a liquid-only diet. The device is called DentalSlim Diet Control and keeps the jaws closed thanks to two magnets hooked to the upper and lower dental arches. With DentalSlim the oral cavity is allowed a maximum opening of 2 millimeters.
The prototype’s features were outlined in an article in Nature’s British Dental Journal, which tested its effects on seven obese patients who wore it for two weeks. Overall, those who decided to undergo the test lost 6.36 kilos on average.
What is the purpose of the “safety” device according to its inventors
About the ethical issue raised by members on the twitter social, it is worth noting that all subjects involved in the experiment were, according to the authors of the study, motivated to continue the path of weight loss. “There are no negative consequences with this device,” stressed Professor Paul Brunton, chief researcher at the University of Otago’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
The dental lock does, however, include an emergency opening mechanism: doesn’t this already seem like a pretty effective gimmick to sabotage the diet?
After the controversy, the university, however, clarified the function of DentalSlim with these words: “The intention of the device is not intended as a rapid or long-term weight loss tool, rather it is intended to assist people who must undergo a surgical procedure and for this reason must lose weight.”
Of course, there are endless ways to make our efforts to lose weight more efficient: for example, fitness apps or so-called fitness trackers.
Giuseppe Giordano