By Emily Murray

Normally when we see someone being tube fed we assume that a medical condition must be the reason for it. Having a tube  inserted through your nose after all doesn’t seem to be something we would willingly do to ourselves if nothing were medically wrong right?

Well if you are a bride-to-be with some cash to spend and a desire to be “thin” on your wedding day, a feeding tube may actually be part of the latest weight loss trend – but should it be?

Typically, feeding tubes are inserted in those who can no longer receive nutrition or nourishment, in fact it is often a last resort treatment for those with the eating disorder known as anorexia, so why in the world are these women putting their bodies through this? Easy – to look great on their wedding day.

This trend actually has been well known in Europe for quite sometime now but in the U.S. most have been shocked by the news of more and more brides taking desperate measures in the name of “beauty.”

The K-E diet is thought by many to have little negative impact on the body (except for those with kidney problems). Essentially the tube drips a solution into the stomach throughout the day equaling 800 calories per day while suppressing appetite. The body naturally begins breaking down fat as a result and therefore this rapid weight shedding takes place over the 10-day period that the tube is inserted.  This process is know as ketosis. While there aren’t that many physical side effects associated with the diet (though they do include lack of energy, bad breath and constipation) however many medical professionals warn that losing so much weight so rapidly is very hard mentally. The brain cannot keep up with the sudden weight loss.

The other issue involved here is that like most drastic diets, rapid weight loss often results in rapid weight gain once the diet is over. Yes, you may in fact lose 20 pounds in 10 days as the diet promises but the chances of the weight coming right back seems to go unmentioned.

At any rate, the amount of women turning to this drastic weight loss measures continues to increase and for simply $1,500 the weight will shed off and for some brides obsessed with looking their best on their wedding day that’s the deal of the century.

Is it really better to look good than to feel good?

Sadly it seems a whole new generation of brides is beginning to answer “yes.”