The Miracle Patch

Photo courtesy of www.drchugay.com

I can't make this stuff up folks.  A friend of mine sent me a link today because a client asked about a new weight loss plan.  It is called the Weight Loss Tongue Patch or "Miracle Patch" and it was developed by Dr. Chugay.  How does it work? Well, Dr. Chugay surgically implants a mesh patch on top of your tongue that prevents you from eating solid foods.  Ground breaking!!!  The patch remains implanted for 1-2 months.  Since you can't eat solids, good Dr. provides you with a generous supply of low-calorie liquid supplements and, viola, you start losing weight.

Check out this link for a brief report on the patch from a ABC affiliate in Philadelphia.

So where do I begin with this?  We know that this is another quick fix to losing weight.  In no way, despite the doctor's less than convincing sales pitch, does this help someone change their behaviors or change their eating habits for the long-term.  Once the patch is off and the shakes are gone, you will not have any tools to help you maintain your weight loss.  You won't know how to incorporate more whole grains into your diet.  You won't know how to read a food label or learn how to cook healthier.  You won't learn how to manage your emotional eating.  You won't change your relationship with food.  You will most likely gain the weight back and you search for a new quick fix. And so the cycle will continue.

This is just another gimmick that unfortunately, we're buying into.  The total cost for the procedure (which only lasts 8-10 minutes) and a 30-day supply of shakes is $1800-$2000.  So if Dr. Chugay is implanting 2-3 of these "miracle patches" each day, he's making $5600.  Not a bad haul for just 10 minutes of work per client.  Bravo Dr. Chugay...bravo!

As much as I hate what Dr. Chugay is doing, (oh and I hate it a whole lot), I'm a little more upset at us as a society.  If we heard about this "miracle patch," laughed and never gave Dr. Chugay another thought other than the joke that this is, he'd slither out of our consciousness and into oblivion.  But no, even though we scoff at this, he's making a living providing a service to his clients.  From the ABC report I mentioned above, one of Dr. Chugay's clients said, "I'm the type of person who doesn't care how you lose the weight, just as long as you lose it.  I would do it again."  Sad!

Losing weight is hard.  There is no quick fix.  This tweet from Bonnie Taub-Dix MA, RD, CDN says it all, "Your weight is just a symptom of a greater problem: your eating habits. Treat the problem...not the symptom."  AMEN!