I was minding my own business when something caught my attention on Good Morning America today.
It seems that some new brides, fearing they won’t look PERFECT on their wedding day, are taking to a drastic means of shedding excess pounds.
Yes, there’s a doctor who has found that inserting a feeding tube into the poor dear’s nose for a 10-day period can help banish unwanted weight without side effects.
Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?
The K-E Diet promises to rid you of 20 excess pounds in 10 days. You exist on basically 800 calories a day, supposedly aren’t hungry for the entire 10-day period, and are under a doctor’s supervision but not hospitalization.
The Florida doctor promoting it says the only side effects are a bit of constipation and bad breath.
Oh, and you have to carry your “food” around with you in a purse-like bag and keep the nose tube in place.
Hmmm.
I think the bigger quandary is why a bride figures she has to be perfect in the first place.
I mean, suppose this diet works and she loses the pounds. Isn’t it likely she’ll gain them back on her honeymoon or during her marriage?
And, if a bride has to be perfect, shouldn’t her husband be perfect, too? He’s probably carrying a pound or two extra, so maybe they can do the diet together.
Wouldn’t that be cute?
I can just hear the pundits now. The couple who diets together, stays together.
Really? They probably just stay angry together and wolf down everything in sight once the fast is over!
The K-E Diet only recently came to the U.S. from Europe. I’d love to hear if it worked there and if the pounds truly stay off, or if it’s just another American fascination with anything foreign and exotic.
And the diet doesn’t come cheap. The doctor’s going price is $1,500 for the 10-day treatment (questionable whether insurance will cover it).
So what do you think? Would you be willing to try the K-E Diet?
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
I’m actually waiting for the K-9 diet. That’s the one where they feed you all you can eat dog food through your nose. I hear you can lose 50 pounds on that one. Only drawback is getting those kernels up those nasal passages. Yikes!
Must be the nasal part that’s key — after all, the Sheltie regularly dines on K-9 fare, but he hasn’t even got 50 lbs. to lose!
Yes, that is key. Also, I think they’re banking on human’s having a general distaste for dog food, so, if you’re not eating it at all, you’re losing weight hand over fist! Btw, I saw that Today show story and was absolutely flabbergasted. Stupefied, more like it.
I almost think it would be easier to simply fast. Although, honestly, my Sheltie’s food looks pretty tempting sometimes, as I “pad” it with carrots and green beans (which he loves!)
I try not to be judgmental about these things..I usually say, “why not.” But this is just gross. I will even go so far to say that a man should think long and hard about marrying a women would go to this extreem to look perfect for her wedding day—at best she is a nut and at worst she does not have an once of self esteem. I am all for cosmetics and looking beautiful but on your wedding day you have to have faith that the love is in your heart, the twinkle in your eyes, and the smile on your face will make you a beautiful bride.
You are the voice of reason, Katybeth, and I so agree! Well said, my friend. If the only vision one half of the couple has is that of a “skinny” other half, what happens when that skinny puts on a few pounds (as most people tend to do over the years)?? One would hope a marriage would be based on more than simply appearances.
I read about that today…talk about a crazy and desperate way to lose weight!
I think so, too! I’m sure it works — for a time — but everything I’ve read advises you against losing too much weight too fast, so who knows what harm they’re doing long term?
Debbie, the obsession we have with beauty and thinness has reached an all time ridiculous high. And yet I have to say that I believe one of the reasons we behave this way is due to the fierce competition that exists between women. Society and the media has made us believe that instead of striving to be better human beings, we have to be thinner, prettier, and more attractive than our counterparts. Women no longer bond over shared experiences, suffering, and joy; they bond over how much weight they have to lose, if they were able to prevent themselves from ingesting more than 1000 calories, and how much they sweat when they zumba. This diet makes me think that the woman who is willing to stick a tube in her nose for ten days and stay at an 800 calories a day intake is really basing her worth on her physicality. And like you mention, the husband should be part of the endeavor but the reality is he’s not. Classic sexism.The constrainsts that are placed on women, or should I say, that women allow, are just another violation of our rights. The message is clear: We are not worthy is we are not thin. We are not worthy if we do not meet society’s definition of beauty. How very disheartening. And how utterly sad for the woman who subjects herself to this kind of torture only to fit the cookie cutter mold mentality. When will this insanity end? Color me utterly disappointed with the sisters how partake in this tomfoolery.
Bella, you’ve hit the nail on its head! How sad that we feel we have to jump through ridiculous hoops in an effort to become “worthy.” True beauty always lies within — you can’t become beautiful on the outside if your innermost being isn’t beautiful! And shame on the doctors who promote such “tomfoolery” just to become wealthy! Artfully said, sistah!
Even setting aside the desperation, the skewed self-image, and all the things that might factor into trying something this crazy/sad, when would said bride attempt something like this? It sounds like the kind of diet that one M&M could make the weight reappear, so tI assume it would have to be done right before the wedding…? What about the bride the bridesmaid’s luncheon, the rehearsal dinner, etc.? And those side effects–constipation and bad breath? On one’s honeymoon?
Yikes!
The woman in the news story said her feeding tube fast wasn’t easy — everybody kept asking her if she was ill because she wasn’t eating. The doctor didn’t say whether the weight would come back on after the diet ended; nor did he comment about the “mild” side effects and how long they’d last. You’ve brought up some good points, though — how awful to endure constipation and bad breath on one’s honeymoon! I suspect, with all the running around and nerves most brides-to-be go through before their wedding day, weight loss is pretty prevalent anyway. Thanks for visiting and commenting!
Debbie, I think this technique for weight loss is ridiculous and risky. First of all,there is no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to healthy weight loss. Rapid cycles of weight loss/gain lead to further medical problems (i.e. gallstones) Secondly,such a drastic measure speaks volumes about not only the self-esteem of the person doing it but the character of the person she is marrying. Who would ever want their perspective spouse ti stick a tube down their nose in hopes of looking “perfect” for their wedding day. Love me as I am or not at all, I say!
I totally agree, Kathy! I, too, have heard horror stories of people who lost a lot of weight, only to gain it all back again. That yo-yo’ing can’t be good for a body! The sad thing is for a doctor (who has sworn to protect life) to capitalize on a patient’s weaknesses and insecurities, just for a buck.
Hahahahahahahaha.
How stupid can they be???? And love the visual of the two of them with matching tubes.
Lord Almighty.
The thing is, most guys wouldn’t even consider such a drastic move, regardless of whether they needed to lose a few pounds. Lately, I’ve seen an amazing number of tiny, thin women with HUGE guys with beer bellies. Love certainly must be in the eye of the beholder!
Would I do it? Absolutely not! I think it’s gross, but if someone else wants to do it, that is totally up to them. When are we going to learn that personality/confidence is the key to beauty? Personally, I’d rather GAIN 20 pounds before the wedding just to make sure the man loved me for me. One word about my weight and the wedding would be off 🙂
This makes me think of a guy I dated in H.S. At the time, I was weight-obsessed and underweight (height of 5’5″/ about 90 lbs.) We were on a date and he made a comment about a “fat” girl nearby. After making sure we were looking at the same girl, a red flag went up for me, because I didn’t think she was fat. Obviously body image was very important to him – who needs that kind of pressure? (He was a trim guy. It would be sweet justice if he ended up with a beer gut. I know, that’s not nice…)
It might not be nice, Janna, but you’re right — it would be sweet justice! I think it’s sad when outward appearance is the only barometer of a person’s worth. Looks are fleeting, as any high school cheerleader will tell you once she’s reached forty or so!
If losing weight is one of a bride’s requirements for marriage, I can’t imagine why she wouldn’t give herself plenty of time to do it the right and healthy way! This has failure written all over it.
I agree, Terri. Everything you read and hear advises NOT to drop tons of weight fast. I can’t imagine what kind of damage they’re doing to their systems, and who wants to deal with bad breath and constipation in the days leading up to one’s Big Day??