What The Heck Is Gastric Electrical Stimulation?

Man, oh man.

Things are getting freakier by the second. Here I was thinking that eating right and exercise were the key to weight loss, but nooooo...

... at least not when you have Gastric Electrical Stimulation at your beck and call. I know what you're thinking (no, no, this isn't a psychic hotline commercial)...

What the heck is Gastric Electrical Stimulation? Well, I know that's what I was thinking.

Are you ready for this?

It's the stimulation of the stomach with low level electrical charges.

The process begins by inserting an anti-obesity device into the abdomen. This "anti-obesity" device is a little pacemaker unit the size of a matchbox. It is attached to the stomach wall by electrodes. This device then sends a series of small electrical charges through the electrodes to the stomach.

How does this stimulate weight loss? Here's how, according to the Medtronic web site...

'While the exact way in which GES causes weight loss is not fully understood, it is believed that through low-level electrical pulses the therapy slows the intrinsic electrical waves in the stomach. Animal studies have shown that this electrical stimulation causes the stomach to relax, resulting in distension of the stomach. This distension triggers nerves in the stomach involved in digestion to send signals via the central nervous system to the brain that the stomach is “full”.'

Wow!

Oh yes... if you're thinking that this is one new electronic gizmo you could really go for, here's the bad news...

Gastric Electrical Stimulation therapy has not yet been approved for use in the U.S.

Currently it is undergoing clinical trials in the United Kingdom.

I guess until then, we're stuck with diet and exercise, eh?