Ear staples for weight loss is a new one on us, we have to confess and our curiosity prompted us to do some research.
We’d always thought staples were for holding pieces of paper together and the notion that they’d help you to lose weight was, well…bizarre!
Basically, a tiny stainless steel staple a bit like an ear ring is inserted into the cartridge inside your ear and the theory goes, you lose weight.
So…
How do Ear Staples for Weight Loss Work…?
The principle behind weight loss ear staples is similar to acupuncture.
The staple is precisely placed on the acupuncture stomach point inside the ear and is supposed to suppress your appetite.
One explanation offered is that the staple alters the body’s electro-magnetic field, which causes a reduction in hunger and the desire to eat.
Not sure if we buy that, but just as with acupuncture there doesn’t really seem to be any logic, devotees just claim that it works.
As with acupuncture, the staple is said to cause the release of endorphins. These feel good chemicals may help to curb your appetite and reduce the stress related to dieting that can trigger overeating.
Testimonials abound on the internet, with some quite incredible – unbelievable? – claims being made as to the effectiveness of ear staples for weight loss.
One practitioner claims that 9 out of 10 of his patients lose weight, with some claiming to have lost 60lbs or more over a period of 6-10 months.
The effect is said to last two to three months before the staple needs changing.
So do Ear Staples for Weight Loss Work…?
Hmm, without some scientific evidence to back up the claims we couldn’t say for sure. We’re sceptical at best!
Some of the testimonials are impressive, but many of the people who’ve used them also seem to have been dieting and exercising.
We’d suggest that this would be a more likely explanation for the weight loss.
Are weight loss staples safe? We can’t see a great deal of difference between ear staples and any other type of ear piercings. So, just as there are risks of infection with any body piercing, so there would be with a staple.
Practitioners don’t seem to require any particular training or a license either, so you should be extremely careful about who you let loose with a staple gun in the general vicinity of your head!
We can’t help feeling that this is just another fad that at around $55 a pop is waiting to lure unsuspecting and desperate dieters looking for a quick fix.
The bottom line is that getting ear staples for weight loss is not likely to help you to change your eating and exercise habits. And that’s the only gimmick free strategy for long term weight loss and weight maintenance.