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This article was published on June 28, 2021

This gadget ‘helps’ you lose weight by wiring your jaw shut

Which SAW movie is this?


This gadget ‘helps’ you lose weight by wiring your jaw shut Image by: M. Brauer/Unsplash

Normal human beings think of running, going to the gym, and putting a cap on those beer bottles when it comes to losing weight. But scientists are thinking about this whole thing differently. They want you to shut your trap, so you can stop hogging on those fries — literally.

A bunch of researchers from the University of Otago and the UK have teamed up to come up with a device called DentalSlim for weight loss. While the name sounds fancy, it doesn’t describe the type of torture device it really is.

According to the description, DentalSlim will prevent you from opening your mouth wider than 2mm by locking your jaw through “magnetic devices and custom-manufactured locking bolts.”

It gets attached to your teeth and it’s meant to make you adhere to the low-calorie diet and stop your snacking habits. Researchers say that it allows you to consume liquids easily without restricting breathing or speech.

Design of the DentalSlim device
Credit: British Dental Journal
Design of the DentalSlim device

They also mentioned that after two or three weeks of this rigorous routine (read: torture), the magnetic hinges of the device loosen up, allowing the person to have a more relaxed diet. The idea is to avoid cost-heavy surgery to reduce weight, and instead force control for a certain time with this device.

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There have been some unique devices, such as this Gastric Band, out there to control food intake. But in terms of being straight out horrific, DentalSlim takes the cake.

While the intention of the device. seem noble on paper, the device itself looks like a miniature version of a jaw trap that’ll be featured in the movie series SAW.

You can read more about this device here.

[H/T: New Atlas]

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