Importance

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Abstract

A portable device that helps a person control food consumption by slowing the eating process to a pace that provides time for the human brain to signal (through hormones such as Sulfated Cholecystokinin) a 'sensation of fullness' before overeating or 'binge eating' can occur, to normalize mealtime social behavior by encouraging relaxation and conversation when eating with others, and to control medical conditions including Bulimia and Anorexia. The apparatus includes red and green lights (22, 20), a circuit (46) that controls energization of the lights, and a pushbutton switch (42) that operates a portion of a circuit. When the push button (44) is depressed, the circuit energizes the red light (22) for a predetermined wait period such as 20 seconds (which can be varied), to indicate that the person should not eat. Then, the circuit energizes the green light (20), to indicate that the person can take one or two bites of food at his/her convenience. After taking one or two bites, the person depresses the push button to cause the red light to be energized. This cycle continues until the meal is over. A person can depress a button (80) to place the device in a 'fast start' adaptive mode, wherein the wait period when the red light is on, gradually increases from a short period such as 7 seconds to 20 seconds during a time such as three minutes, and then continues at 20 second periods for the rest of the meal.

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First Claim