by

Joseph

People struggling with excess body fat may have a new weight loss tool to add to their arsenal. IntraPace, a California based company, has developed a weight loss procedure that could be effective in helping overweight and obese persons to shed unwanted fat.

The procedure involves surgical implantation of a battery powered stimulator device, a stimulation electrode and a food sensor. The weight loss device acts similarly to a cardiac pacemaker but instead of sending signals to the heart, electrical signals will be sent to the stomach to help generate a sense of fullness.  

The "abiliti" procedure though not yet available in the United States, has been approved for use in Europe. IntraPace says that implantation of the abiliti device is a safe and minimally invasive laproscopic surgical procedure that it is easily reversible.

According to the company, the abiliti system is suitable for people with body mass index ranging from 35 - 55, so people who have just a few pounds to lose wouldn't receive much benefit from the procedure.

The way the system works, when the sensor device detects food in the stomach it sends a signal to the gastric stimulator which emits low energy electrical impulses to a stimulator which triggers fullness. The reasoning behind this is that people are less inclined to eat when they feel full. 

On the outset this seems logical enough, a full stomach does tend to curb hunger. The nervous system is designed to pick up on signals from the stomach, and some of that information can trigger satiety.

Normally a person feels full when his/her stomach is well, full. In other words, when the stomach volume increases as a result of solid or liquid contents, it causes the stomach to stretch. When that happens, nerves that connect stomach to brain transmit impulses to the brain informing it of the stretch. For most people this is enough to trigger fullness and they'll stop eating. But not always.

Most people have the ability to continue eating even when the stomach is full, often they do it because of pure greed, at other times their eating could be caused by something else. For example, some people have a condition wherein gastric receptors malfunction and signals don't reach the brain. So folks suffering from that unfortunate condition will continue eating or drinking even when the stomach is fully distended. Needless to say that's not good.

When I read IntraPace's explanation about how the abiliti system works, the part about gastric signals stood out to me. According to abiliti's website once the stimulator is activated "... you feel full before you normally would, so you eat less." And therein lies my biggest concern: what happens if a person learns to eat less than what is healthy for them?

Put another way, the effects of the abiliti procedure may go further than intended, people may lose too much weight. Afterall, who is to say that some patients won't stop eating after the first impulse from the sensor reaches their brain? If that happens, some patients may lose their appetite too early and become malnourished and underweight.

The company says that information from the food sensors can be sent to a laptop computer for review by doctor and patient. It's important to note that this has yet to receive regulatory approval.

IntraPace also says that abiliti users become part of a weight loss community and can get support from other members. This suggests that the abiliti system by itself may not promote weight loss and that patients should take additional steps to lose weight.

What You Should Know About the abiliti Weight Loss Pacemaker

The abiliti system could be beneficial to some people. But the procedure is no substitute for healthy eating and physical fitness. Healthy weight loss requires understanding of the relationship between nutrition, exercise and emotion.

People must be motivated to make changes in their lifestyle and be on the look out for situations, people, etc. that influence weight gain. If abiliti patients understand this, it will make it much easier to keep the weight off long term.

What about you? Do you think that inserting a weight loss pacemaker into the stomach is a good idea for the obese? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Article Sources

IntraPace http://www.abiliti.com/en/

Carmagnola et al: Mechanoreceptors of the Proximal Stomach and Perception of Gastric Distension. The American Journal of Gastroenterology (2005), 100:1704 - 1710.

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"What You Should Know About Weight Loss Pacemakers" copyright © 2011 Living Fit, Healthy and Happy_(SM). All Rights Reserved.

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