Feeding Tube Diet???

I heard this from a friend the other day and I hoped (prayed) it was a joke. Bad sadly no. Brides, before their weddings, are using a feeding tube for 10 days to lose weight. Yes, that's right, the kind of feeding tube they give patients who can no longer eat on their own. These women are going to doctors who fit them with a feeding tube that goes into the nose, down through the esophagus and directly into the stomach. They are then fed a solution that contains no carbohydrates, just protein and fat, and totals 800 calories a day. They carry the solution around in a tote bag they wear on their arm that looks like a purse.

I wondered why on earth any doctor would do this to a healthy patient who could lose weight on their own by cutting calories. Then I read about the cost. According to the New York Times, it costs $1,500 for 10 days. That includes the doctor's care, the equipment and the solution. Wow! Apparently this is nothing new in Europe, but it's new here in the United States.

You can lose weight if you cut your calories. Anyone can. I wish people would diet sensibly, slowly (you know the way you put the weight on). No matter what you weigh you will be beautiful on your wedding day.