I Pit the K-E Diet for (Stupid) Brides

[Broomstick]

Here is a link to this new "fad" - women wanting to lose weight for their weddings undergo a "minor" medical procedure so they get their daily calories shot through their nose instead of eating like a sane, normal human being.

Am I the only one appalled by this?

These women really can't simply cut back on food in general for a couple months prior to the wedding? They can't deal with the fact they might need a size 16 dress instead of a 12 or 8 or whatever?

This strikes me insane.

Several years ago I was on a 400-800 calories a day due to real medical issues, but it wasn't through a tube, it was through eating very small amounts of real, actual food. The lack of energy was awful (I didn't have constipation due to my gastrointestinal tract being so inflamed). I lost muscle mass and strength. Somewhere to 1/3 to 1/2 my hair fell out. My finger and toenails became brittle. It was terrible.

So... they'll be thin, but they might need hair extensions/wig, they'll need to have their fingernails glued back together, and they'll be weak and tottering down the aisle, but that's OK because they'll be thin!

Alright, maybe not that bad, as it's only for 10 days and an otherwise healthy human should be able to withstand severe caloric restriction for that length of time even if it's unpleasant and not at all fun. I can't help but think some of these women will suffer side effects.

Just seems incredibly stupid to me.

[Odesio]

I'm kind of surprised at the medical profession. How can this be ethical?

[TriPolar]

WTF is the tube for? How do you lose more weight drinking juice through your nose than through your mouth?

[LurkerInNJ]

I don't see the big deal. 8 to 10 days of protein and no carbs under medical supervision so their wedding dress looks fab. It's not for the long term and I doubt the weight loss lasts, but for a one time solution for your wedding day? Not a problem.

[Grumman]

Originally Posted by TriPolar

WTF is the tube for? How do you lose more weight drinking juice through your nose than through your mouth?

How many people are going to ask for a second helping of nose juice?

[billfish678]

At least it lets the groom know what kinda woman he is getting beforehand. Shallow, obssesd with trivial shit, no willpower, and willing to do crazy shit for crazy reasons.

[MsRobyn]

Originally Posted by TriPolar

WTF is the tube for? How do you lose more weight drinking juice through your nose than through your mouth?

The tube is so they can't eat more through their mouth. All the calories and nutrition they'll get for the duration will come through the tube.

Brides are going to do stupid shit for their weddings no matter what; there are countless websites devoted to poking fun at these women. Modern wedding culture is a lot like modern pregnancy culture in that there is one and only one correct way to do it, and anything that deviates from that one correct way is going ruin the experience for everyone. So if this means that the bride has to starve herself in order to fit into the approved dress size for the approved dream dress, that's what she'll do, and she'll be happy to do it. Of course, there is the risk of refeeding syndrome and rebound weight gain, but as long as the bride looks good on her wedding day, that's all that matters.

[Boyo Jim]

Somewhere there's a joke with the punchline, "I won't come in your nose."

[MsWhatsit]

Originally Posted by LurkerInNJ

I don't see the big deal. 8 to 10 days of protein and no carbs under medical supervision so their wedding dress looks fab. It's not for the long term and I doubt the weight loss lasts, but for a one time solution for your wedding day? Not a problem.

Perhaps these women should have considered purchasing a wedding dress that looks fab without their having to snort all of their calories for a week and a half prior to wearing it.

That's just me doing some crazy talkin', though.

[Ferret Herder]

I'm sure these brides will have a lovely time (and great photos!) at their rehearsal dinner the night before with the feeding tube still in place. Better wait until the last minute or else she won't be able to zip the dress the next morning. I think some of them even then risk bursting a seam during the reception what with the sudden influx of food and alcohol.

[miss elizabeth]

Usually I'd be snarking on this, but today it just makes me feel sad. These aren't grossly overweight women; they're losing about 20 pounds. What kind of self image do you have when 20 pounds makes you feel so bad about yourself you'd do this? It sounds like body dysmorphic disorder. It feels like a canary in a coal mine to me; what kind of society do we have that this is happening, even if it is fringe?

Fucked up.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Grumman

How many people are going to ask for a second helping of nose juice?

Two words: portion control.

[Cat Whisperer]

I just read about this yesterday, too, and my response was the same - this is fucked up in so many ways. I like to watch some wedding reality tv shows, and there is a lot of dysfunction going on with them; this seems like an extension of the unrealistic, misguided attitude of, "It's MY day, so everything is going to be perfect, and everything is going to be the way I want it."

[MsRobyn]

Originally Posted by miss elizabeth

Usually I'd be snarking on this, but today it just makes me feel sad. These aren't grossly overweight women; they're losing about 20 pounds. What kind of self image do you have when 20 pounds makes you feel so bad about yourself you'd do this? It sounds like body dysmorphic disorder. It feels like a canary in a coal mine to me; what kind of society do we have that this is happening, even if it is fringe?

Fucked up.

I don't think it represents a major trend, just the most extreme manifestation of something that's been going on for quite a while. Extreme things get news coverage, and it doesn't get more extreme than having a tube shoved up your nose.

That said, I have been exposed to the modern wedding culture and very little of it is pretty. If you thumb through a magazine like Modern Bride or The Knot, you'll find a step-by-step guide to how to have the perfect wedding. Everything has a checklist so you don't leave anything out, and if you do decide to skip a step for whatever reason, the entire thing will be wrecked and no one will ever love you. It's not even "your special day" anymore; it's the "special day" the Modern Wedding Hivemind wants you to have. And if you have to starve yourself to fit into the gown that the magazine or website tells you you want, you'll do it because that's what you're supposed to do.

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by MsRobyn

The tube is so they can't eat more through their mouth.

But...it doesn't prevent eating. And that's the part that has me really scratching my head over this. Isn't it just an NG tube? You can eat around an NG tube. So WTF?

Also, don't let them blame we American fatties for this one, okay? "While the tube diet is fairly unknown in this country, it has been popular for years in Italy and Spain, where it is used casually to lose weight before a big event, as well as for more significant weight loss. In England, where it has been offered for the past year as the KEN (or ketogenic enteral nutrition) diet, The Daily Mail asked if it was “the most extreme diet ever,” before adding that a National Health Service doctor was offering it."


(And, totally not related to the thread, but the article: there's no paprika in The Master Cleanse. That should be cayenne pepper.)

[Nava]

Originally Posted by WhyNot

Also, don't let them blame we American fatties for this one, okay? "While the tube diet is fairly unknown in this country, it has been popular for years in Italy and Spain, where it is used casually to lose weight before a big event, as well as for more significant weight loss. In England, where it has been offered for the past year as the KEN (or ketogenic enteral nutrition) diet, The Daily Mail asked if it was “the most extreme diet ever,” before adding that a National Health Service doctor was offering it."

I'd really like to see their cites for Spain, cos the Ministry of Health should be on something like that like stink on shit, and if something like this was going on, you bet there would be both ads and articles to be found - and I can't find any.

[A Monkey With a Gun]

Originally Posted by Nava

I'd really like to see their cites for Spain, cos the Ministry of Health should be on something like that like stink on shit, and if something like this was going on, you bet there would be both ads and articles to be found - and I can't find any.

It took me maybe 15 seconds of googling. EPN Nutrition is a company that provides this and appears to operate exclusively in Spain and Italy. They have ten clinics in Spain (11 if you count the Canary Islands)

[Boyo Jim]

Originally Posted by Nava

I'd really like to see their cites for Spain, cos the Ministry of Health should be on something like that like stink on shit, and if something like this was going on, you bet there would be both ads and articles to be found - and I can't find any.

Why would your Ministry of Health even care? It's just a feeding tube, like any other inserted for thousand different reasons. It's not dangerous.

It's just... insane.

[Emtar KronJonDerSohn]

When I got married everyone along the way always said "but what about _____?! it's tradition!" and when I said "whose tradition?" they were all so horrified. Everything was how I wanted it, although I do recall my wife's dress was taken in waay too small. She's thin and good looking and had weighed the same since high school, but when she bought the dress they said they would take it in several sizes too small and assured her she was going to lose a lot of weight to have a perfect day, because everyone does. She said no, she wasn't, she was going to eat whatever she wanted and not gain or lose an ounce and the seamstress gave her a look and still took it in so small she could barely fit into the thing. The whole day she couldn't eat and when she had to sit down for toasts she was in immense pain. She took it off the second we pulled out of the parking lot and we had the driver hit a drive thru to get some calories in her.

[Jenaroph]

Originally Posted by Emtar KronJonDerSohn

When I got married everyone along the way always said "but what about _____?! it's tradition!" and when I said "whose tradition?" they were all so horrified. Everything was how I wanted it, although I do recall my wife's dress was taken in waay too small. She's thin and good looking and had weighed the same since high school, but when she bought the dress they said they would take it in several sizes too small and assured her she was going to lose a lot of weight to have a perfect day, because everyone does. She said no, she wasn't, she was going to eat whatever she wanted and not gain or lose an ounce and the seamstress gave her a look and still took it in so small she could barely fit into the thing. The whole day she couldn't eat and when she had to sit down for toasts she was in immense pain. She took it off the second we pulled out of the parking lot and we had the driver hit a drive thru to get some calories in her.

Yeah, this is about where the seamstress doesn't get paid, I think.

[Broomstick]

Originally Posted by LurkerInNJ

I don't see the big deal. 8 to 10 days of protein and no carbs under medical supervision so their wedding dress looks fab. It's not for the long term and I doubt the weight loss lasts, but for a one time solution for your wedding day? Not a problem.

Well, aside from the bad breath and potential constipation, which are the minor side effects, you can trigger kidney stones (good for a trip to the ER, if not actual procedures which will no doubt play havoc with the pre-wedding schedule). Worst case, after 5 or so days of such low consumption there is the risk of refeeding syndrome, already referenced above. Resume eating "normally" again too quickly and if you're lucky all you'll get is nausea and vomiting. It can be fatal. But hey! Looking "fab" is worth risking your life, right?

If these women have so little self-control they have to subject themselves to this rather than just engaging in something like portion control are they going to have the self-control to resume eating in a controlled manner, or are they going to just binge?

[MsRobyn]

Originally Posted by WhyNot

But...it doesn't prevent eating. And that's the part that has me really scratching my head over this. Isn't it just an NG tube? You can eat around an NG tube. So WTF?

I'm thinking the NG tube is disincentive to take nourishment by mouth, kinda like an anchor. NG tubes are also irritating as hell, so while it may be physically possible to eat with one, it'd be very unpleasant. I had one for a few hours and my throat hurt for days afterward.

[digs]

Originally Posted by Broomstick

... If these women have so little self-control they have to subject themselves to this rather than just engaging in something like portion control are they going to have the self-control to resume eating in a controlled manner, or are they going to just binge?

I just realized what my biggest problem with "bridezillas" is:

I pit any groom who stands by while the bride acts like a selfish ass.

What sane person wouldn't be concerned that someone they're going to be spending decades tethered to has no self-control? Does he think that her self-absorbtion and selfishness is going to vanish as soon as "her day" is over?

[kaylasdad99]

Originally Posted by Boyo Jim

Somewhere there's a joke with the punchline, "I won't come in your nose."

Rule 34 being what it is, I don't doubt that a bit.

I don't think I want to hear it, though.

[Chimera]

Say No to a Ho with a Hose up her Nose.

[Boyo Jim]

Originally Posted by Chimera

Say No to a Ho with a Hose up her Nose.

Her nose job is not what most people think of when they hear "nose job".

[Chimera]

"No go, Hose nose?"


Welcome Back Kotter was so prescient! We just had no idea what Juan Epstein was on about.

[Boyo Jim]

She has the tightest nostrils in Nogales! And when she blows...

[A Monkey With a Gun]

Sure she's a ho, but she could suck a golf ball through a ten foot naso-gastric tube.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by Jenaroph

Yeah, this is about where the seamstress doesn't get paid, I think.

Yeah, if the seamstress can't deliver a usable garment, she doesn't get paid.

[SticksAndString]

Originally Posted by MsRobyn

. It's not even "your special day" anymore; it's the "special day" the Modern Wedding Hivemind wants you to have

Fourteen and a half years ago (geeze i feel old) my wedding day was a comedy of errors. And I was still able to get through the whole thing without crying (well..not over crap that went wrong, anyway. I did cry when my bridesmaid sang our song as the beginning of the ceremony) and was able to laugh at everything.


And it was still a very special day.

[MsRobyn]

Originally Posted by SticksAndString

Fourteen and a half years ago (geeze i feel old) my wedding day was a comedy of errors. And I was still able to get through the whole thing without crying (well..not over crap that went wrong, anyway. I did cry when my bridesmaid sang our song as the beginning of the ceremony) and was able to laugh at everything.


And it was still a very special day.

I've been married for almost 10 years now. Airman wore a suit, I wore a nice dress, and we got married by a judge in a treehouse. Afterward, we had dinner at a casino buffet and a weekend in New Orleans. The biggest logistical headache was that he was in Biloxi, Mississippi and I was in San Antonio, Texas, so most of the planning had to be done by phone and fax. But it was still a perfect day.

The honeymoon, on the other hand...

[Nava]

Originally Posted by A Monkey With a Gun

It took me maybe 15 seconds of googling. EPN Nutrition is a company that provides this and appears to operate exclusively in Spain and Italy. They have ten clinics in Spain (11 if you count the Canary Islands)

It's strange, because I find several links which end in that same webpage, but it's always "information not found" (only prettier and in Italian). They give locations but no addresses.

And yes, last time I looked, the Canary Islands were Spain. What, are you some sort of birther variant who believes Obama was born in Hawaii and that this makes him a foreigner because Hawaii is not part of the US?


Boyo Jim, the Ministry of Health is supposed to supervise any medical procedure being performed. Not individually, but any procedure and its usage is supposed to be reviewed and authorized. Someone comes up with a new procedure for apendecectomies? They have to send the protocol to the Ministry to be reviewed and authorized. If it's a medical procedure, it's under the Ministry's purview.

[LurkerInNJ]

Originally Posted by Broomstick

Well, aside from the bad breath and potential constipation, which are the minor side effects, you can trigger kidney stones (good for a trip to the ER, if not actual procedures which will no doubt play havoc with the pre-wedding schedule). Worst case, after 5 or so days of such low consumption there is the risk of refeeding syndrome, already referenced above. Resume eating "normally" again too quickly and if you're lucky all you'll get is nausea and vomiting. It can be fatal. But hey! Looking "fab" is worth risking your life, right?

What is it about other women who want to look great in their dress on their wedding day that upsets you so much? It's their wedding, their dress and their body.

Do you have statistics on how many of these women who did the procedure and ended up with kidney stones or dead? Or is that your imagination run wild?

[MsWhatsit]

Originally Posted by LurkerInNJ

What is it about other women who want to look great in their dress on their wedding day that upsets you so much? It's their wedding, their dress and their body.

This has nothing to do with women wanting to "look great," unless you're working under the assumption that it is necessary to go on an all-liquid diet for two weeks in order to look great. I have been to many weddings, all of the brides looked great, and none of them indulged in this kind of nonsense beforehand in order to do so. Some of them were even -- this may be shocking -- overweight.

It's twenty different kinds of fucked up (yes, I counted) that there are people out there who think that they have to eat nothing for several days in order to look good. I am not suggesting that we outlaw this or that they don't have the right to do it. Of course they have the right to do it. But I have the right to think that doing something like this is ridiculous, stupid, and potentially damaging, and that in fact is what I do think.

[Broomstick]

Originally Posted by LurkerInNJ

What is it about other women who want to look great in their dress on their wedding day that upsets you so much? It's their wedding, their dress and their body.

I'm all for women looking great - what I am opposed to is women feeling they have to conform so strongly to an artificial standard they risk their health and even their lives to achieve it. I don't feel that if a woman isn't a size 8 (or whatever arbitrary number you choose) she's hideous and should go to a doctor as if not being thin enough was an actual disease requiring medical intervention. We're not talking about morbidly obese women, we're talking about women losing 10-20 pounds.

It's rather like insisting that if a woman's breasts are not 40DD she's hideous and should get implants. What? Opposed to that? What, don't you want women to look their best instead of a pathetic 38C?

Do you have statistics on how many of these women who did the procedure and ended up with kidney stones or dead? Or is that your imagination run wild?

Look up nasogastric feeding tubes, extreme low calorie diets, or anything similar. It's a known risk, as is refeeding syndrome. It's not my "imagination run wild" it is a documented possible side effect, and has been for decades.

In other words, like plastic surgery, extreme dieting of this sort really does have some serious risks associated with it. I'm all for feeding tubes for people with genuine need of assistance in getting nutrition, but this is like recreational surgery.

These nutjobs should just buy a dress that actually fits them in the first place.

[LurkerInNJ]

Originally Posted by MsWhatsit

Perhaps these women should have considered purchasing a wedding dress that looks fab without their having to snort all of their calories for a week and a half prior to wearing it.

That's just me doing some crazy talkin', though.

Maybe they did, and they gained weight.

Fat people can fit in the same size a lot longer than a slim person and an extra 10 pounds looks a lot worse on a slim woman than a fat woman. If you weigh 225 and go up to 235, no one will really notice and your dress will still fit. If you weigh 112 and go up to 122, everyone will notice and your dress isn't going to fit.

[Cat Whisperer]

Originally Posted by MsWhatsit

This has nothing to do with women wanting to "look great," unless you're working under the assumption that it is necessary to go on an all-liquid diet for two weeks in order to look great. I have been to many weddings, all of the brides looked great, and none of them indulged in this kind of nonsense beforehand in order to do so. Some of them were even -- this may be shocking -- overweight.

It's twenty different kinds of fucked up (yes, I counted) that there are people out there who think that they have to eat nothing for several days in order to look good. I am not suggesting that we outlaw this or that they don't have the right to do it. Of course they have the right to do it. But I have the right to think that doing something like this is ridiculous, stupid, and potentially damaging, and that in fact is what I do think.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I don't think I have gone to any weddings and thought, "Gee, the bride looks nice, but she sure should have dropped that last 10 pounds." All the weddings I've gone to, everyone looked great because they were so happy.

[LurkerInNJ]

Originally Posted by Broomstick

Look up nasogastric feeding tubes, extreme low calorie diets, or anything similar. It's a known risk, as is refeeding syndrome. It's not my "imagination run wild" it is a documented possible side effect, and has been for decades.

My question was "Do you have statistics on how many of these women who did the procedure and ended up with kidney stones or dead? Or is that your imagination run wild?"

I had googled terms such as nasogastric feeding tube diet deaths or kidney stones and wasn't able to find any.

Do you have links to statistics on how many women on this specific diet died or developed kidney stones?

[Zsofia]

Originally Posted by LurkerInNJ

Maybe they did, and they gained weight.

Fat people can fit in the same size a lot longer than a slim person and an extra 10 pounds looks a lot worse on a slim woman than a fat woman. If you weigh 225 and go up to 235, no one will really notice and your dress will still fit. If you weigh 112 and go up to 122, everyone will notice and your dress isn't going to fit.

This is certainly true. Does it make me shallow that I've been doing Weight Watchers to look better on my wedding day? Or do I get points because I have to do it the "hard" way?

(It's also economic - when I bought my dress, and mind you you don't often HAVE the option of getting "another size", I couldn't zip it up and the back was going to have to be remade into a corset back, which would be more expensive. Now it zips, so the alterations will be cheaper. But who am I kidding - seriously, I'm losing weight for absolute vanity. When other people at spin class are thinking about, I don't know, whatever they're thinking about, I'm thinking about wedding pictures.)

[Broomstick]

Originally Posted by Zsofia

This is certainly true. Does it make me shallow that I've been doing Weight Watchers to look better on my wedding day? Or do I get points because I have to do it the "hard" way?

You get points because you're doing it the correct way.

(It's also economic - when I bought my dress, and mind you you don't often HAVE the option of getting "another size", I couldn't zip it up and the back was going to have to be remade into a corset back, which would be more expensive.

And this we have to stop - the wedding industry is only interested in extracting money from women, not actually giving them a good wedding. If women would stop buying dresses too small and stop drinking the kool-aid on what the "wedding industry" declares to be a proper wedding dress and instead buy clothes that fit the fucking industry would be forced to either change or go under.

Of course, silly me - I didn't purchase a multi-thousand dollar dress in a "traditional" style, I went with ethnic attire which, while more expensive than my usual wear, nonetheless actually fit me without a need for altering either me or the dress. And that choice was also partly economic, in that I couldn't afford to get on the wedding industry bandwagon, so I went with choices I could afford and that I actually choose instead of some "wedding planner" telling me what I was supposed to want.

Mind you, I won't say a peep at a wedding to someone who went whole hog on the modern style, it's their day and their choice, but my opinion is that a lot of women out there are being foolish about this.

But who am I kidding - seriously, I'm losing weight for absolute vanity. When other people at spin class are thinking about, I don't know, whatever they're thinking about, I'm thinking about wedding pictures.)

Well, hon, the thing is while it's vanity motivating you you're going about this in a way that will leave you healthier in the end - exercise and portion control. You'll not only lose weight and tone up, those effects will be with you after the honeymoon and maybe you can even continue this long term. As opposed to a NG diet that will leave you weaker than before, may fuck up your health, and whose effects likely won't last past the first two weeks of the marriage.

[CalMeacham]

When I was a kid, there was one of those "shock" articles in Reader's Digest written by an ex-smoker. he saw people in the cancer ward who'd lost parts of their larynx or esophagus being fed through tubes unserted in their nostrils, and being disgusted by it. At the end of the article, he is doing the same thing. The moral of the story is clear -- don't smoke, or you could end up getting your food through a tube i your nose!


So what are girls supposed to learn from this newest incarnation?


Don't get engaged! You could end up feeding through a Nose Tube!


Don't gain weight! It's as bad as having Throat Cancer!

[Broomstick]

Originally Posted by LurkerInNJ

My question was "Do you have statistics on how many of these women who did the procedure and ended up with kidney stones or dead? Or is that your imagination run wild?"

Ah, I see - you think there is something magical protecting brides doing this for a crash weight loss for their wedding that will protect them from the side effects seen in tube feeding? Sorry, I don't deal in that sort of magical thinking.

[LurkerInNJ]

Originally Posted by Broomstick

Ah, I see - you think there is something magical protecting brides doing this for a crash weight loss for their wedding that will protect them from the side effects seen in tube feeding? Sorry, I don't deal in that sort of magical thinking.

Does that mean you couldn't find any deaths caused by this specific diet?

This procedure has been in use for some time in more than one developed nation. Surely the casualties from this specific diet would be well documented, right?

Perhaps you could at least document the post in this thread where I said I believe in magic. Oh wait ... I didn't. That was all you.

[Zsofia]

Originally Posted by Broomstick

You get points because you're doing it the correct way.


And this we have to stop - the wedding industry is only interested in extracting money from women, not actually giving them a good wedding. If women would stop buying dresses too small and stop drinking the kool-aid on what the "wedding industry" declares to be a proper wedding dress and instead buy clothes that fit the fucking industry would be forced to either change or go under.

Of course, silly me - I didn't purchase a multi-thousand dollar dress in a "traditional" style, I went with ethnic attire which, while more expensive than my usual wear, nonetheless actually fit me without a need for altering either me or the dress. And that choice was also partly economic, in that I couldn't afford to get on the wedding industry bandwagon, so I went with choices I could afford and that I actually choose instead of some "wedding planner" telling me what I was supposed to want.

Mind you, I won't say a peep at a wedding to someone who went whole hog on the modern style, it's their day and their choice, but my opinion is that a lot of women out there are being foolish about this.


Well, hon, the thing is while it's vanity motivating you you're going about this in a way that will leave you healthier in the end - exercise and portion control. You'll not only lose weight and tone up, those effects will be with you after the honeymoon and maybe you can even continue this long term. As opposed to a NG diet that will leave you weaker than before, may fuck up your health, and whose effects likely won't last past the first two weeks of the marriage.

The reason you can't buy a dress that fits is that salons really can't afford to stock these extremely expensive dresses in a bunch of sizes knowing that they sell really very few of them and are stuck with discontinued out of style dresses if they don't sell (which is how I got mine so cheaply.) So it's not really a Wedding Industrial Complex thing precisely, although the wacky sizing certainly is and the specific sizes they stock, well, that certainly. (The black lady salon my mom got her MOB dress at does the precise same thing, only they're much larger sizes and they plan to alter down, not up.)

[Broomstick]

Oh, please - they could stock more realistic sizes, and dresses designed to be altered to fit something other than stick people. Yes, it IS a wedding industry thing.

Or, like I said, women could just wear something other than the "traditional" gowns which have a surprisingly short tradition when you actually look into it. Up until around 1940 "traditional" was more in line with daily styles of dress (albeit in white, typically). It was also considered acceptable for a woman simply wear her "Sunday best" to get married. The extravagant one-time-use gown for everyone (not just royalty or the super-rich) is really an invention of the latter part of the 20th Century. Extreme dieting to fit into one is a fad of the 21st Century.

As I said, I don't mind women choosing a particular option, what I object to is that more and more their options are being restricted. It's no longer a matter of "choose a white gown" but rather "choose a white gown of X size" whether it fits or not, and if you have to literally starve yourself to get into it, well, don't you want to look good for your Special Day? Fuck no, I want to be able to breathe on that Special Day because I don't think "blue skin tone due to lack of oxygen" is attractive on a human being.

Bravo to the media reports that point out how stupid the "nosejuice" diet is for these purposes, but I have to think the people who simply shrug and say "oh, well, have to look good" at any cost are nucking futs.

[MsRobyn]

Originally Posted by LurkerInNJ

Does that mean you couldn't find any deaths caused by this specific diet?

This procedure has been in use for some time in more than one developed nation. Surely the casualties from this specific diet would be well documented, right?

Perhaps you could at least document the post in this thread where I said I believe in magic. Oh wait ... I didn't. That was all you.

Given that this diet is nothing more than the tube-feeding that hospital patients get when they are not to take nourishment by mouth (e.g. people with pancreatitis), the risks are pretty well-known. This isn't a new thing. It's an old thing used to accomplish something it was never intended for.

And therein lies the problem. Very few hospital patients are ever placed on an NG tube; it's generally reserved for patients with the most serious problems because the nutrients have to be mixed just right. They also have to be slowly reintroduced to solid food; total parenteral nutrition (which is what this is) can cause refeeding syndrome in as few as five days; these women are on this diet for 10. This is in addition to kidney stones, gallstones, and the other problems that are known to happen because they have happened.

[Jenaroph]

Originally Posted by LurkerInNJ

Does that mean you couldn't find any deaths caused by this specific diet?

This procedure has been in use for some time in more than one developed nation. Surely the casualties from this specific diet would be well documented, right?

Perhaps you could at least document the post in this thread where I said I believe in magic. Oh wait ... I didn't. That was all you.

You want a cite that very low-calorie-put-you-into-ketosis diets can cause death or other problems? OK... http://www.apinchofhealth.com/resour...-Research.html

If you want a cite that THIS EXACT diet has KILLED BRIDES, I can't help you, but there's nothing special about either being a bride or using a nasogastric tube that's going to protect you from the dangers of a very low-calorie diet, which is all the K-E diet is.

Or also, what MsRobyn says.

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by LurkerInNJ

Maybe they did, and they gained weight.

Fat people can fit in the same size a lot longer than a slim person and an extra 10 pounds looks a lot worse on a slim woman than a fat woman. If you weigh 225 and go up to 235, no one will really notice and your dress will still fit. If you weigh 112 and go up to 122, everyone will notice and your dress isn't going to fit.

Right, and so you use a combination of diet and exercise to lose those 10 pounds safely over a month or so, or you pay attention to your body in the 6 months before your wedding and you don't gain the weight in the first place.

Originally Posted by Zsofia

The reason you can't buy a dress that fits is that salons really can't afford to stock these extremely expensive dresses in a bunch of sizes knowing that they sell really very few of them and are stuck with discontinued out of style dresses if they don't sell (which is how I got mine so cheaply.) So it's not really a Wedding Industrial Complex thing precisely, although the wacky sizing certainly is and the specific sizes they stock, well, that certainly. (The black lady salon my mom got her MOB dress at does the precise same thing, only they're much larger sizes and they plan to alter down, not up.)

Can't they order a dress in your size? I didn't buy a foofy white dress, so I have no idea how these things work for brides, but every time I'm a bridesmaid, they stuff me into the largest size they have to try the style and then order one in Heifer that will actually fit based on my measurements. They do still have to take in the waist a bit, 'cause I got some junk in the trunk, and what fits the hips hangs at the waist. Alterations never cost me more than $20, because they order something in the approximate right size to begin with.

MsRobyn, this isn't TPN - TPN goes into the bloodstream, avoiding the digestive system entirely. This is NG feeding, which still goes to the stomach and intestines. But the rest of your point stands - nurses are watching closely when you start eating food if you haven't been eating food by mouth in a few days.

[MsRobyn]

You're right about this not being TPN. I realized my mistake about six minutes after I hit the submit button.