Obesity is a major health risk factor in the world, and in particular in the United States. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, National Center for Health Statistics estimates this to be about 35.7 per cent of the US population. Obesity can lead to hypertension, diabetes, heart attacks, osteoarthritis amongst various medical conditions.
A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Research Triangle Institute (RTI International) released in July 2009 estimated that obesity and obesity-related health conditions cost almost ten percent of annual medical spending in the US, totaling $147 billion in 2008. This is a condition which requires significant intervention at a national and an individual level.
Numerous ways exist to address this condition such as diet, weight loss drugs, psychotherapy, exercise, change in life style and surgery. Various types of medications used for this process include phenteramine, amphetamine and FDA approved lorcaserin.
A common surgical procedure can include gastric bypass and gastric banding. These medications and surgical procedures can have long term effects and complications.
A medical condition called giant cell arteritis can lead to decreased blood flow to the muscles for chewing. This condition leads to fatigue while trying to chew similar to as any muscle would if it did not get enough blood supply. This condition invariably leads to weight loss.
Various types of elaborate systems have also been proposed over the years. See for example, U.S. Published Patent Application 2010/0109876 to Schmid-Schonbein et al. which describes elaborate devices, systems and methods to control caloric intake where sensors can be attached to a patient's teeth and personalized feedback can occur. However, this device and system requires computers where feedback which only instructs the patient to eat slower, and does not physically restrict their chewing.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.