New pump sucks food straight out of the belly so dieters can eat all they want without digesting it

A new weight loss invention will let dieters eat anything they want - by sucking food and drink straight out of their stomachs.
The rather gruesome-sounding system stops the body from digesting a third of each meal by pumping it out of the stomach via a tube inserted in the abdomen.
So far it has been trialled on 24 obese patients and now the company Aspire Bariatrics has applied for a patent on the unusual device in partnership with inventor Dean Kamen.
Mr Kamen is best known for inventing the Segway, the two-wheeled self-balancing personal transport.
However, critics have been horrified by the system, which they say doesn't tackle the causes of obesity.

Brighter tomorrow: The new invention will suck food straight out of the user's belly before the body can fully digest it

Not for every meal: One user complained the pump had issues 'clogging' with some foods

This graphic shows how the AspireAssist reduced excess weight in clinical trial patients over a year

The latest product is being touted as an alternative to other procedures such as gastric bypass surgery, which discourages people from overeating by dividing the stomach into two pouches.

According to a statement from the company: 'The AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy System works by reducing the calories absorbed by the body. After eating, food travels to the stomach immediately, where it is temporarily stored and the digestion process begins.
'Over the first hour after a meal, the stomach begins breaking down the food, and then passes the food on to the intestines, where calories are absorbed.
'The AspireAssist allows patients to remove about 30 per cent of the food from the stomach before the calories are absorbed into the body, causing weight loss.'
However expert Tam Fry, a trustee of the National Obesity Forum, said he was dismayed by the new system.
'I haven't seen anything as horrific as this before,' he said.
'You are supposed to eat and then digest, not pump your food out.
'It seems they are trying to come up with a quick-fix for lazy people. It is far better to eat properly and in the correct amounts.
'I understand that those who are obese need help, but we should be focusing on counseling and especially education.
'The key is to teach children early about nutrition and a healthy diet.'
The company claimed that patients lost an average of 49 per cent of their excess weight, equivalent to 45lbs, during the first year of using the system in a U.S clinical trial.
However, the pump reportedly struggles when attempting to break up large foods.
One patient even reported 'clogging' and had to avoid cauliflower, broccoli, Chinese food, stir fry, snow peas, pretzels, chips and steak.
There have also been concerns that the system has a number of similarities to bulimia, where people make themselves sick after eating.
However, the company said AspireAssist does not cause eating disorders and there is little overlap between people with obesity and the psychological disorder. It added patients would be screened for the condition before being approved.
According to the patent, the process of removing ingested food could potentially be improved by alternating the infusion of liquid into the stomach with the removal of material from the stomach.
The company is also considering capturing stomach acid and returning it to the stomach to help break down food further, as well as adding nutritional supplements or medicines to the infused liquid.

HOW THE ASPIRE ASSIST WORKS

A tube, called the A-Tube, is placed in the stomach. The thin silicone rubber tube then connects the inside of the stomach to a poker-chip-sized Skin-Port outside the abdomen. The port has a valve the user can open and close to control the flow of the stomach's contents.

The patient then empties a portion of their stomach contents about 20 minutes after each main meal through this tube by connecting a small, handheld device to the port. The emptying process itself is called aspiration and takes five to 10minutes to complete.

The device would be used in combination with counseling and group support meetings to encourage healthier food choices.

Patients aspire after every main meal and then use it less often as they learn to eat more healthily.

If problems are encountered the tube can be removed in a 15minute outpatient procedure.

Tips for avoiding DRY SKIN during winter

Throughout the winter, excessive hand washing to prevent the spread of germs can leave skin extremely dry and itchy. Drinking coffee and alcoholic beverages can also lead to dehydration and dry skin, experts say, but proper skin care and hydration can prevent skin from chapping or cracking.

"As the temperature is low and the heater is on, the indoor air gets dehydrated and your skin loses moisture from the environment," said Dr. Michelle Tarbox, a dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at Saint Louis University, in a medical center news release. "Water always moves downhill, even on a microscopic level, and when the level of moisture in the air drops due to the heating process, it practically sucks the water out of your skin."

Tarbox offered the following tips to help keep skin hydrated during the winter months:

• Use a humidifier. Plug this device in at night and while working to help prevent moisture loss indoors. For best results, use distilled water instead of tap water. "Humidifying the air can reverse the process of skin dehydration and is particularly helpful for patients with dermatitis (an itchy inflammation of the skin)," Tarbox said.
• Use over-the-counter saline sprays. These sprays can help keep the mouth, eyes and nasal areas hydrated, particularly during travel. When they are too dry, these mucosal surfaces can become itchy and are less able to protect against viral infections, such as the flu.
• Avoid harsh cleansers. Some cleansers are irritating and can lead to hand eczema, a long-term skin disorder, dermatitis and dryness. Replace these cleansers with more mild, skin-friendly products to prevent dry skin. "You can look for some beneficial ingredients like essential oils, jojoba oil and shea butter oil," Tarbox said.
• Choose the right moisturizer. Essential oils, jojoba oil and shea butter oil are also beneficial ingredients found in certain moisturizers. Use products that also contain fat molecules known as ceramides that help protect the skin. It's also important for people to choose products suited to their skin type. "The less water a moisturizer has, the longer it will last," Tarbox explained. "When in doubt, thicker is often better while choosing a skin moisturizer."
• Drink water. Drinking caffeinated coffee and alcoholic drinks can also lead to dehydration and dry skin. To prevent dehydration, Tarbox recommended drinking one glass of water for each alcoholic or caffeinated beverage consumed.

SOURCE: Saint Louis University Medical Center, news release, Dec. 20, 2012

Clearing Up the Confusion on When to Get a Pap Test

Figuring out when to be screened for this cancer or that can leave women's heads spinning.

Screening guidelines have been changing for an array of cancers, and sometimes even the experts don't agree on what screenings need to be done when. But for cervical cancer, there seems to be more of a general consensus on which women need to be screened, and at what ages those screenings should be done.

The main cause of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HPV is very prevalent, and most people will be infected with the virus at some point in their lives, according to Dr. Mark Einstein, a gynecologic oncologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

"But, it's only in very few people that HPV will go on to cause cancer," Einstein explained. "That's what makes this type of cancer very amenable to screening. Plus, it takes a long time to develop into cancer. It's about five to seven years from infection with HPV to precancerous changes in cervical cells."

During that stage, he said, it's possible that the immune system will take care of the virus and any abnormal cells without any medical intervention. Even if the precancerous cells linger, it still generally takes five or more additional years for cancer to develop.

Dr. Radhika Rible, an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles, agreed that HPV is often nothing to worry about.

"HPV is very, very prevalent, but most women who are young and healthy will clear the virus with no consequences," Rible said. "It rarely progresses to cancer, so it's not anything to be worried or scared about, but it's important to stick with the guidelines because, if it does cause any problems, we can stop it early."

Two tests are used for cervical cancer screening, according to the American Cancer Society. For a Pap test, the more familiar of the two, a doctor collects cells from the cervix during a pelvic exam and sends them to a lab to determine whether any of the cells are abnormal. The other test, called an HPV screen, looks for evidence of an HPV infection.

The cervical cancer screening guidelines were updated last spring. Einstein, who was on panels that helped define the guidelines, said that more than 25 professional groups led by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, as well as consumer groups, assessed available data on cervical cancer screening and agreed on how the guidelines should be updated.

For many women, the take-away message was that fewer screenings were being recommended: They could start later than what had been suggested, and the idea of an annual Pap test for everyone was being replaced with a longer interval, perhaps three to five years, between screenings.

For most women, the guidelines now recommend:

• No screening for women younger than 21.
• Screening with a Pap test every three years for women 21 to 29 years old.
• A Pap test every three years or a combination Pap test and HPV testing once every five years for women 30 to 65 years old.
• Screening for women older than 65 only if they have an elevated risk for cancer or they hadn't gotten regular screenings before age 65.

The guidelines apply only to healthy women, however. That means that anyone who's had an abnormal Pap test or has had a procedure to remove abnormal cervical cells, as well as women who have a compromised immune system, should discuss their specific screening needs with their doctor.

Also, women still are being advised to have an annual pelvic exam. "The annual gynecological exam is important for preventive health and discussing other concerns with your provider, such as family planning and, as you get older, menopause symptoms and other concerns," Rible said.

Besides preventive screenings, a vaccine is available to protect against some strains of HPV. Because sexual activity is the main way that HPV is transmitted, the vaccine is recommended for girls and boys at age 11 or 12, before they've become sexually active. But, it's also recommended for people 13 to 26 years old, even if they've been sexually active, and even if they've been infected with HPV.

"Even if someone has had HPV, they probably haven't been exposed to all of the strains covered by the vaccine," Einstein said.

Getting the vaccine, though, doesn't replace the need for screening, he said. It's still important to follow the screening guidelines because not all strains of HPV are covered by the vaccine.

SOURCES: Mark Einstein, M.D., gynecologic oncologist, Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, Montefiore Medical Center, New York City; Radhika Rible, M.D., assistant clinical professor, obstetrics and gynecology, University of California, Los Angeles

Clearing Up the Confusion on When to Get a Pap Test

Figuring out when to be screened for this cancer or that can leave women's heads spinning.

Screening guidelines have been changing for an array of cancers, and sometimes even the experts don't agree on what screenings need to be done when. But for cervical cancer, there seems to be more of a general consensus on which women need to be screened, and at what ages those screenings should be done.

The main cause of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HPV is very prevalent, and most people will be infected with the virus at some point in their lives, according to Dr. Mark Einstein, a gynecologic oncologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

"But, it's only in very few people that HPV will go on to cause cancer," Einstein explained. "That's what makes this type of cancer very amenable to screening. Plus, it takes a long time to develop into cancer. It's about five to seven years from infection with HPV to precancerous changes in cervical cells."

During that stage, he said, it's possible that the immune system will take care of the virus and any abnormal cells without any medical intervention. Even if the precancerous cells linger, it still generally takes five or more additional years for cancer to develop.

Dr. Radhika Rible, an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles, agreed that HPV is often nothing to worry about.

"HPV is very, very prevalent, but most women who are young and healthy will clear the virus with no consequences," Rible said. "It rarely progresses to cancer, so it's not anything to be worried or scared about, but it's important to stick with the guidelines because, if it does cause any problems, we can stop it early."

Two tests are used for cervical cancer screening, according to the American Cancer Society. For a Pap test, the more familiar of the two, a doctor collects cells from the cervix during a pelvic exam and sends them to a lab to determine whether any of the cells are abnormal. The other test, called an HPV screen, looks for evidence of an HPV infection.

The cervical cancer screening guidelines were updated last spring. Einstein, who was on panels that helped define the guidelines, said that more than 25 professional groups led by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, as well as consumer groups, assessed available data on cervical cancer screening and agreed on how the guidelines should be updated.

For many women, the take-away message was that fewer screenings were being recommended: They could start later than what had been suggested, and the idea of an annual Pap test for everyone was being replaced with a longer interval, perhaps three to five years, between screenings.

For most women, the guidelines now recommend:

• No screening for women younger than 21.
• Screening with a Pap test every three years for women 21 to 29 years old.
• A Pap test every three years or a combination Pap test and HPV testing once every five years for women 30 to 65 years old.
• Screening for women older than 65 only if they have an elevated risk for cancer or they hadn't gotten regular screenings before age 65.

The guidelines apply only to healthy women, however. That means that anyone who's had an abnormal Pap test or has had a procedure to remove abnormal cervical cells, as well as women who have a compromised immune system, should discuss their specific screening needs with their doctor.

Also, women still are being advised to have an annual pelvic exam. "The annual gynecological exam is important for preventive health and discussing other concerns with your provider, such as family planning and, as you get older, menopause symptoms and other concerns," Rible said.

Besides preventive screenings, a vaccine is available to protect against some strains of HPV. Because sexual activity is the main way that HPV is transmitted, the vaccine is recommended for girls and boys at age 11 or 12, before they've become sexually active. But, it's also recommended for people 13 to 26 years old, even if they've been sexually active, and even if they've been infected with HPV.

"Even if someone has had HPV, they probably haven't been exposed to all of the strains covered by the vaccine," Einstein said.

Getting the vaccine, though, doesn't replace the need for screening, he said. It's still important to follow the screening guidelines because not all strains of HPV are covered by the vaccine.

SOURCES: Mark Einstein, M.D., gynecologic oncologist, Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, Montefiore Medical Center, New York City; Radhika Rible, M.D., assistant clinical professor, obstetrics and gynecology, University of California, Los Angeles