Tongue Patch Surgery for Weight Loss?

Just how far would you be willing to go to lose weight? If you're one of a few dozen women in Los Angeles, you might consider surgery to apply a patch to your tongue to help you lose weight... but is it a good idea?

There is currently one doctor in the U.S. who offers this tongue patch surgery to lose weight, Dr. Chugay, in Los Angeles, California. According to a statement on his website, he was inspired by a similar weight-loss surgery in Mexico. He adapted the surgery and the materials used in the patch for safety, then tested the procedure on 67 patients. All of them, Chugay says, have lost considerable weight, with only one patient experiencing negative side effects from the surgery.

Here's how it works: Dr. Chugay attaches a prolene mesh patch to the patient's tongue for 30 days. The patch makes eating solid foods painful, so the patient is restricted to a liquid diet for the month, helping them shed unwanted pounds. Typically, a liquid diet will contain fewer than 1,000 calories, half of what a typical adult female ought to consume. This had led critics to complain that the weight loss is unsustainable, but Chugay counters that he also provides diet, fitness, and nutrition counceling to his patients to help them lead healthier lifestyles and maintain their weight loss. He also points out that his "Miracle Patch" is far less expensive and risky than other weight loss surgeries, like gastric bypass or the lap band.

I wouldn't consider a tongue patch to lose weight, but what do you think? Is this a good option for people who have a hard time losing weight on their own, or is it too ridiculous?

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