The new bariatric device, developed by AspireAssist, consists of a thin silicone A-Tube, a ‘Skin Port’ a handheld component that sucks ‘aspirated’ food from the body, and a bag, which is filled with water to helps regulate the system.

For the system to work the patient must undergo minimally invasive surgery to implant the A-Tube in the stomach and the Skin Port in the abdomen.

AspireAssist Aspiration Weight Loss Therapy

With the device implanted the patient can empty a portion of the food from their stomach in a process the company call’s ‘aspiration.’

The liquefied, but undigested food, can be extracted in 5-10 minutes and directly drained into the toilet, and since the Aspirator only extracts 30 percent of the food the body still gets the nutrient it needs.

For optimal weight loss, the company advises patients to aspirate after each major meal (about 3 times per day) to begin with. Then over time, as patients learn to eat more healthfully, they can reduce the frequency of aspirations.

AspireAssist claims that in clinical trails showed that obese people lost around half their excess weight, when using the device. However there were reports problems breaking down some types of foods such “cauliflower, broccoli, Chinese food, stir fry, snow peas, pretzels, chips, and steak.”

AspireAssist was created by Segway inventor Dean Kamen and a team of bariatricians. The device is already available in some parts of Europe but the team is still working to receive FDA approval for the US market.

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Green Coffee Bean Study

During a 22-week study of green coffee beans, researchers found that overweight men and women lost an average of 17 pounds. During the research they took the green coffee beans in supplement form. There was also a control group who took a placebo to confirm their findings at a different point of the study.

During the study, participates did not change or alter their diets. They were physically active, but those that took the green coffee bean supplement lost dramatically more than those on the placebo. They lost the most when on the higher doses.

Green Coffee Bean Extract

When you first hear the report, you may think it is because of the caffeine in the coffee, but researches also confirmed that this was not the case.

“We don’t think it’s the caffeine in it,” says Joe Vinson, PhD, professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton.

Due to this finding and study, the specific properties of the green coffee bean are attributed to the fat loss that the participants experience. The doctor and team presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego. These results echo those of other researchers as well.

Whats Causes The Weight Loss

The results are interesting and further study is expected. However the researches have found, that although caffine is also a great weight loss tool for dieters, it was not the main reason for the weight loss. The unique green coffee bean was found to help cause weight loss due to these findings:

How Green Coffee Bean Extract Works:

1. Superior Source of Antioxidants to fight harmful free radical damage (metabolic waste or by-products)
2. Acts as a Glucose Inhibitor to slow down sugar intake which induces fat burning for energy while regulating blood-sugar levels
3. Boosts Fat Metabolism and Weight Loss Hormone Adiponectin

With pure green coffee extract, you can get the benefits of the best best green coffee beans in a easy to take supplement. You must be cautious when buying green coffee extracts and should only deal with supplement companies that offer pure products. Always read the ingredient labels to see what if any fillers are used. Fillers are bad for you and can cause bloating and other symptoms which is counter productive to the green coffee.

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Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to 20–30 cm and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas. Together with the styles, or stalks that connect the stigmas to their host plant, the dried stigmas are used mainly in various cuisines as a seasoning and coloring agent. Saffron, long among the world’s most costly spices by weight, is native to Southwest Asia and was first cultivated in Greece.

Satiereal Saffron Extract

By isoslating the best properties of the plant, dieters can now take advantage of the properties that will help them achieve their weight loss goals. The Satiereal blend of saffron extract has the following proven benefits: lower appetite, cut down on snacking urges, boost energy, and improve moods. The Satiereal blend shas been clinically studied and proven effective, and proven to be most beneficial for women. This is because in some studies it has also shown to help with pre-menstrual symptoms, depression, asthma, and insomnia on top of weight loss.

Saffron For Weight Loss

Weight Loss

When beginning any exercise program it is important you first exam your diet. No matter how good you exercise program is, if you are not eating the right foods and monitoring how much you eat, all your efforts could be done in vain.

By incorporating saffron extract into your diet, dieters can reduce the amount they feel like they need to eat and prevent themselves from over eating.

In a recent study 100 percent of the women involved reported that they noticed a decrease in their hunger after taking saffron extract.

Dr. Oz

Dr. Oz

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Studies have proven that people who are significantly overweight (obese) and have not been able to lose enough weight with diet and exercise alone are able to lose lose weight and keep it off with the assistance of phentermine and are thus able to reduce the many associated health risks: obesity, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and a shorter life.

An interesting fact about the pill, is that not much is known about how this medication actually helps people to lose weight. It is thought that it may work by decreasing your appetite, increasing the amount of energy used by your body, or by affecting certain parts of the brain.

Phentermine is usually taken for only a few weeks at a time. It should not be taken with other appetite suppressants. The possibility of negative side effects increases with longer use of this medication and use of this drug along with certain other diet drugs.

Phentermine Prescription

A doctor evaluation will confirm your dosage of phentermine. It is usually prescribed to take this medication by mouth once a day, 1 hour before breakfast or 1 to 2 hours after breakfast. Your dosage may be adjusted to take a small dose up to 3 times a day depending on your reaction to the initial dosing.

Time-Release Capsules
Phentermine is also available in a sustained-release capsules. For these capsules the dose is usually taken once a day before breakfast or at least 10 to 14 hours before bedtime. Swallow the medication whole. Do not crush or chew sustained-release capsules. Doing so can release all of the drug at once, increasing the risk of side effects.

Dissolvable Tablets
For phentermine tablets that dissolve in the mouth, the recommended dosage is usually taken once a day in the morning (with or without food). Before taking the tablet it is important that you dry your hands before handling the tablet. Place your dose on top of the tongue until it dissolves and then swallow it with or without water.

Generic Phentermine

With rising health care costs and limited insurance plans, many patients are seeking relief by searching for generic phentermine for a cheaper alternative. Many patients who are seriously over-weight and having trouble losing weight, find their insurance does not cover them because they are not “obese enough”. Although they have the health risks associated with obesity, they cannot take actions to improve their health. Since many health care providers require a prescription before they can take Phentermine and then pay a hefty fee; patients are turning towards pharmacies outside the US and even buy phentermine online. However, before doing either one of these, you should research the online pharmacy and check local law.

Phentermine Side Effects

This medication may cause withdrawal reactions, especially if it has been used regularly for a long time or in high doses. In such cases, withdrawal symptoms (such as depression, severe tiredness) may occur if you suddenly stop using this medication. To prevent withdrawal reactions, your doctor may reduce your dose gradually. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details, and report any withdrawal reactions immediately.

Rarely, abnormal drug-seeking behavior (addiction) is possible with this medication. Do not increase your dose, take it more frequently, or use it for a longer time than prescribed. Properly stop the medication when so directed.

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The study, conducted by Dr. Francesco Rubino, chief of gastrointestinal metabolic surgery and director of the Metabolic and Diabetes Surgery Center at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell in New York City and his team from Rome’s Catholic University involved two years of monitoring 60 severely obese patients with type 2 diabetes who were between the ages of 30 and 60.

One-third of the patients were treated with diabetes drugs and diet/lifestyle modifications, while the rest underwent one of two surgical procedures: either Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or biliopancreatic diversion surgery.

At the end of study all of the patients who underwent surgery were able to stop taking their diabetes medications, while the vast majority entered into full disease remission; neither outcome occurred in the traditional treatment group.

Weight-Loss Surgery Effective Treatment For Diabetes

Dr. Rubino said:

“We have known for many years that bariatric surgery, and specifically certain types of operations like gastric bypass, are very effective in terms of helping to control diabetes,”

“But what this new study shows is that even when you compare surgery against standard treatment, surgery performs far better in terms of the improvement that you can get in terms of diabetes…

“Surgery dramatically reduces blood sugar levels, and very often surgical patients can stop taking the medications used for diabetes.” [MSNBC]

Rubino added out that while effective, traditional diabetes treatments can pose their own set of problems, for example insulin can cause patients to gain weight, which can have a negative impact on the disease.

The finding were announced at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting in Chicago, and study published in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, March 26th.

The Italian researchers are not the only ones looking into the health benefits bariatric surgery to treat diabetes, a team from the Cleveland Clinic reported similar findings, which were announced at the same meeting and published in the same journal.

The Cleveland doctors followed 150 patients with type 2 diabetes for a year, and found those who had undergone weight-loss surgeries were much more likely to lower their blood sugar levels, and reduce their use of diabetes compared to those on traditional therapies.

While all surgery comes with its own risks, the new findings show that bariatric surgery is more effective at treating diabetes than traditional hypoglycemic medicines alone.

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The researchers do note that the figures are statistical and may not show the true numbers.

Weight Loss Surgery No Increased Risk For Over 65

Many experts are behind the new study and hope that such findings will eventually label weight loss surgery safe for many more seniors. Robert B. Dorman, MD, PhD, a general surgery resident at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, said:

“If the patient is over age 65, and they’re otherwise relatively healthy, I think this study gives surgeons an opportunity to tell the patients that they can undergo these operations with relatively similar outcomes compared to younger age populations,”

From 2005 – 2009 when the study was being conducted, the number of adults over 65 opting for weight loss surgery more than doubled, and it’s because of this dramatic rise in numbers that experts such as Thomas H. Magnuson, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Obesity Surgery Service in Baltimore agree that it’s important to make sure the ‘outcomes are still safe’.

Magnuson also noted that weight loss surgery provides the elderly with more benefits that simply dropping pounds and regaining self esteem:

“Older patients definitely benefit from the operation oftentimes more in terms of quality of life. If you can have someone who is 72 years old lose 100 pounds, they can get better quality of life, such as, you know flying on an airplane with their grandkids or just getting around better to enjoy life,”

The study was presented at Digestive Disease Week 2011 in Chicago.

Thailand Bariatric Surgery Medical Tours

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The system, called Abiliti and devleoped by Intrapace, uses the same technology found in traditional pacemakers, however Abiliti attaches to the vagus nerve – - instead of the heart. When the device detects the patient has consumed enough food, it administers a tiny, painless electric shock that stimulates the nerve which in turn, tells the brain the stomach is full.

Abiliti Weight Loss Gastric Pacemaker

Intrapace reported that in a trial involving 65 participants, the average amount of weight lost was 22 percent, with the most losing 38 percent. One patient who lost 22 of his 229 lbs told AP reporter Maria Cheng that device made him feel full after consuming just half of what he would usual eat: “It feels like a little pressure on my stomach or a tickle, but it’s not a bad feeling,”

Image Credit: Intrapace, 2011.

But some experts worry that other factors which drive people to eat excessively may easily override the ‘full’ sensation that the device induces. Stephen Rossner, an expert quote by Cheng said:

“A lot of obese patients eat because they’re depressed, they can’t sleep at night, or they have nobody to have sex with. So whatever you insert into their stomach, they can out-eat that device because it’s other things that drive them to consume.” [Discover Mag]

Nevertheless the simple device has already been successful for some, which makes it the oneof the only effective alternatives to gastric bypass or lap band surgery,.Unfortunately it is currently only available in the UK, Spain and Germany, however Intrapace plans to have Abiliti on the U.S. Market by 2014.

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The Lap-Band, also known as Lap-Band Adjustable Gastric Banding, is an inflatable band that wraps round the stomach to reduce its size and minimized the amount of food that enters. The procedure was developed by Californian company Allergan Inc.

According to report release by Allergan, around 37 million Americans are clinically obese and have at least one obesity-related condition. Being clinically obese can put extreme strain on the body complex systems and often leads to diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and even some types of cancer.

FDA Approves Lap Band Surgery

Although Lap-Band surgery is now available to people with a BMI of 30-35, experts still say the surgery should only be performed when diets and other weight loss programs have failed.

Robert Michaelson, MD, PhD, of Northwest Surgical Weight Loss Surgery in Everett, Wash., praised the surgery in a recent news release, but noted that such a procedure brings a significant change to ones diet, and these changes require a long-term commitment to adhere to the new eating habits.

The procedure is not considered safe for pregnant women, children, or patients with ongoing alcohol or substance abuse. Other conditions that can increase the risk of complications from lap-band surgery include GI disorders, cirrhosis, heart or lung problems, inflammatory disease, or autoimmune disease.

The new approval comes following a five year study of the LBAGB system in 149 patients who had a BMI of 30 – 40 and had been obese for 17 years prior to the surgery. To meet the FDA requirements, 40 percent of the patients had to shed at least 30 percent of their excess weight. At the end of the study an astonishing 84 percent of participants lost the required amount of weight in under a year, and 65 percent of all participants were no longer considered clinically obese. Furthermore, all the patients kept the weight off during the second year of the study. Allergan Inc said it plans to track the progress of the patients for the next five years.

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The three men, Alonzo Bland, 33, and brothers Walt, 56, and David Anderson, 50, moved to the northern Chinese city of Tianjin in the middle of this year after winning a contest promoting traditional Chinese medicine, from the U.S. company China Connection.

The strict regime includes acupuncture in their hotel bedrooms at the Aimin Fat Reduction Hospital, a typical Chinese diet of rice, tofu, meat, vegetables and soup, as well as regular exercise.

Doctors say that acupuncture helps to increase metabolism rate and also reduces the appetite. Exercise helps to burn off the bodies fat reserves and the healthy diet ensures the patient consumes all the necessary nutrients during the program.

Since his arrival Bland has lost 227 lbs, dropping from 641 lbs to 414 lbs. Bland, who had a tracheotomy in 2000 because the fat in his face was putting too much pressure on his windpipe, said:

“The reason why I think it works here is that China is away from everything, all the stuff that I’m familiar with.”

David Anderson told reporters how he could not walk 20 feet without stopping to catch his breath. He now weighs 229 lbs after loosing 90 lbs.

His brother Walt, has lost 106 lbs and now weighs 394 lbs.

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Malissa Jones, now 18, weighed a staggering 34 stone when she was 16. She admits to constantly gorging on chocolate, crisps and junk food, and would sometimes consume 10 chocolate bars at once.

Dietitians estimate that Malissa was eating roughly 15,000 calories a day, 7½ times the recommended 2,000 cals for a girl her age.

By the time she was 17, Malissa was barely able to move, she need oxygen to assist her breathing while sleeping and she suffered from the heart disease angina.

Despite the risks for her age group, Malissa decided to have the bypass. She is the youngest person in the world to undergo the procedure.

“Doctors warned me there was a strong risk I could die from the op. But I knew I had no choice. Without it I would have died anyway.”

The surgery was success and helped Malissa to lose more than half her own body weight in just one year.

Now she plans to have more cosmetic surgery to remove the 14 lbs (1 stone) of excess skin left after her dramatic weight loss.

(Click here if you would like to find out more about Gastric Bypass and Weight Loss Surgery.)

“I’ve discovered a whole new world. I’m out every weekend clubbing. I’ve had a lot more boyfriends because I feel much more attractive and confident.”

Malissa’s eating problems started when she was just TWO and spiraled out of control when she was seven. Malissa explains:

“My mum had a stillborn baby and with so much upset in the family, food was comforting. When I was seven my parents separated and I got fatter. I couldn’t fit into a school uniform or run around the playground.”

Her mum Dawn, 45, took her to visit the doctors and locked the kitchen cupboards, but Malissa would still managed to steal food at home and buy Mars bars and Snickers with her pocket money.

“I knew Malissa was far too fat. But her eating habits proved impossible for anyone to control.” Dawn said.
During the night, Malissa admits to secretly stealing and partially microwaving burgers and nuggets from the freezer. She would thaw them just soft enough to chew.

“I was so ravenous I didn’t care. Other times I’d have 10 Mars bars in one go. I never felt sick…

“I only felt happy when I had food in my mouth. The longest I could go without eating was four hours. By then my body would be shaking like a drug addicts.”

At her heaviest, 5ft 8in Malissa had a Body Mass Index of 72.4. The healthy range is 18.5 to 25.

She was referred to an eating disorders specialist, counselors and nutritionists, but nothing worked.

“My life was a nightmare. I was constantly teased at school, and was in and out of hospital with kidney and chest infections. At 15, I collapsed with chest pains and was rushed to hospital with the first of three suspected heart attacks. I was diagnosed with angina…

“I also had sleep apnoea, where my weight pressed into my neck and cut off my breathing. And my body got so large I couldn’t get enough oxygen…

“I’d have bad asthma and spend most of the day stuck in a chair unable to move. At night I wore an oxygen mask to keep me alive…

“[At age 17]Doctors told me my weight was crushing my internal organs. I was so ill I had only months to live and I might not see my 18th birthday.”

Malissa thought her only hope was a gastric bypass to drastically reduce the size of her stomach and restrict the amount she could eat.

A year after her 36 hours operation, Malissa now weighs 14 stone (476 lbs), is size 16 and eats 1,000 calories a day.

Her asthma has gone and she has a full-time job in business admin. Malissa said:

“I’ve massive scars down my body where they had to slice through so much flesh to get to my stomach…
“But my confidence has soared and most of all I enjoy going out and looking normal.”

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