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Hot Diet Trend: Ear Stapling?

Guest blogger Robin Bratslavsky says: Some people will do almost anything to lose weight. I'm one of them.

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So when I recently read about people having their ears stapled to drop pounds, I was intrigued. Grossed out, but intrigued.

I've been writing about health and fitness for more than 15 years, and this concept was new to me. I've heard about using acupuncture for weight loss, but never inserting a staple into the cartilage of one's ear.

My aunt happened to be visiting me and we started talking about the concept. She wasn't surprised by the staple thing. Huh? She's in her mid-60s and has never lived in Los Angeles (home of crazy weight-loss schemes). She said that she knows of at least 15 people who have tried this over the last 20 or so years. One of her friends, after having no weight-loss success through stapling her ear, chose to have her jaws wired shut. When that didn't work, she finally resorted to gastric-bypass surgery. Hmmm. Seems like metal and binding are a recurring theme here.

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Tune on August 5, 2008 2:05 PM wrote:

This reminded me of one of a zillion things I tried growing up—a plastic “acu-diet” gizmo that I’d squeeze every time I got hungry. Did it work? Hell, no. Two months ago I had gastric bypass surgery. Did it work? Hell, yes. 40 pounds in 2 months and dropping. The only stapling that is going to work has to do with making your stomach smaller, sorry ladies. I speak from EXPERIENCE.

 
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JANET on August 5, 2008 2:08 PM wrote:

want me to come and staple your ears???? I’d do it for free. Kay

 
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Eve on August 5, 2008 2:13 PM wrote:

I had my ears stapled about 2 months ago. They worked great! I ganed a pound a week for 4 weeks and then took the staples out. KEEP AWAY!!!! One of my friends got a really bad infection.

 
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beach bum on August 5, 2008 2:20 PM wrote:

I wish I had something stupid to sell women !

 
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Deb on August 5, 2008 2:21 PM wrote:

All I have to say is, if you’re considering stapling ANYTHING on your body, try Overeaters Anonymous first. Food can be as addictive for some people as drugs or alcohol are for others. I know because I am a food addict (sugar, anyone?). For me, only working the OA program with the same 12 steps as AA could help me to stop eating compulsively.

Go to www.oa.org if you want to learn more.

 
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Anonymous on August 5, 2008 2:22 PM wrote:

hOw mUch iS gastic by pss anyways

 
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Barbara on August 5, 2008 2:25 PM wrote:

this has been around for years…my friend had this done 20 yrs ago, to no avail…

 
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me on August 5, 2008 2:28 PM wrote:

what an idiot!

 
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julie on August 5, 2008 2:28 PM wrote:

I am really kind of sick of people advertising for the gastric by-pass surgery like it’s no big deal. A weight loss phenomenon! My sister, who is morbidly obese, had this surgery done about 7-8 years ago. She is bigger now than ever! The problem is, she had no follow up care. She didn’t get to be 500lbs because she is a happy person. Just because you make her stomache smaller, doesn’t mean she is not going to stretch it back out the first time she is discouraged about something. I think it is irresponsible for Doctors to allow for this surgery to continue, unless there is better follow-up care, focusing on the mental health aspect.

 
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Tanda on August 5, 2008 2:32 PM wrote:

If that’s where they had there ears stapled no wonder it didn’t work. That’s not the right place.

 
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Joseph on August 5, 2008 2:42 PM wrote:

I say you try what you think you should try. If one thing doesn’t work, try something else if you want. There are, after all, tons of stuff you can try for weightloss. I’m sure obese people get tired of everyone telling them to try this or this. Try what you want and if it doesn’t work, oh well. No one can force another to loose weight. You are your own person, after all. Are you not?

 
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July on August 5, 2008 2:43 PM wrote:

I know someone who had their stomach stapled and it got messed up and she had to eat out of a tube for 8 months until they could fix it just enough that she could eat babyfood herself….10 years later…She’s smaller (Probably because she can’t eat real food)but still overweight

 
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Mindy on August 5, 2008 2:44 PM wrote:

I live on the border of Mexico, and this is similar to a procedure that has been going on for YEARS and YEARS over here… accu-pressure. They tape a TINY (i mean TINY) metal ball to certain points ( 3 or 4 points) in and around the ear. Then when you start to feel hungry, you press on the little piece of tape, therefore pressing the ball into the pressure point, i GUESS to release seratonin. Bunch of people say it worked for them but i dont like the idea of having old gross tape that everyone can see stuck to my ear LOL you have to go back every few weeks and have new ones put in on different places in the ear….

 
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Anonymous on August 5, 2008 2:52 PM wrote:

wait… ear stapling? if this were true then people with multiple ear holes would be skinny.

 
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Karolina on August 5, 2008 3:22 PM wrote:

How about regular old fashioned willp ower to lose the weight? go do some excercise and see how hard it is to lose a few calories and then the next time you want to eat something you know is not good for you… you’lllook at it in terms of.. i have to walk how far to burn that off?!! and you’ll be motivated to find better options for fuel for your body. there’s nothing wrong with enjoying food but what it boils down to is… food = fuel. if you put junk in… what do you think will be the outcome?

and really… ear stapling… why risk the infection??

 
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Bobby G on August 5, 2008 3:23 PM wrote:

SKIP BREAKFAST. Screw that saying about it being the most important meal of the day. Years ago I used to ALWAYS be slim and trim because I never ate breakfast. Recently I finally realized the reason I gained weight over the last 10 years was because I changed my diet to include breakfast. All that got me was a late morning “crash” and I gained 7 inches on my waist over 10 years. RECENTLY I decided to go back to skipping breakfast. I HAVE LOST ALMOST 10 POUNDS IN 4 WEEKS and it is staying off. EAT LESS = LOSE WEIGHT. Skipping breakfast didn’t make me ‘make up for it’ later. It just meant eating less. That junk about never skipping breakfast is bull. Fasting is good for you. Skipping breakfast won’t kill you and its a good way to burn off residual calories from the day before.

 
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April on August 5, 2008 10:16 PM wrote:

Skipping meals is the dumbest “diet plan” I’ve ever heard of… it ranks right up there with ear stapling.

How about eating the RIGHT foods, and the RIGHT portions instead? How about exercising for at least 30 minutes every day? Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park at the BACK of the parking lot, instead of trying to get the closest spot to the door.

 
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birdsfly on August 6, 2008 10:36 PM wrote:

Alot of people will overcompensate at lunch if they skip breakfast. Same often happens with lunch and dinner. Eat smaller, healthier meals over the course of the day and it will keep your energy up and not cause overeating. Or switch the way you do lunch and dinner. Instead of a small lunch and a big dinner make lunch the larger meal in the day, that way you have more time to burn it. ALso we need less emphasis on meat in our meals. In general we have WAY bigger portions of meat then we need, look to some other food groups to be the main course!

 
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