The year is 2025 and you've said something online that goes against community standards (I'll use the words Group Think while I still can) and you hear a snap... you try to gasp but realize you can't, because your mouth has been locked shut, remotely.
That's not exactly the idea but it's close -- at least that's what the "positive" narrative is telling us about the magical fight against the "global obesity epidemic" and its new device that magnetically clamps your jaw shut. That's the best way to fight obesity for experts, and a huge money maker which I'm sure is definitely not the reason why it's being made.
They're calling it the DentalSlim Diet Control, an intra-oral device that gets professionally installed by a dentist to your lower, and upper back teeth. With magnets inside, it uses locking bolds that will be customized perfectly for your mouth -- every user will have their own unique set.
To stop you from overeating, instead of educating people on healthy eating, exercise, eating in moderation, changing diets, and everything in between -- they'd rather install a device into your mouth and have it stop it from opening more than 2mm (0.0078 inches).
This means that all you'll be able to do is drink, breathe, and speak -- but with your mouth being locked shut that tight you won't be able to scream or sing.
In a blog post on University of Otago's website, Paul Brunton, the lead researcher of the University of Otago Health Sciences and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor explained: "The main barrier for people for successful weight loss is compliance and this helps them establish new habits, allowing them to comply with a low-calorie diet for a period of time. It really kick-starts the process. It is a non-invasive, reversible, economical and attractive alternative to surgical procedures. The fact is, there are no adverse consequences to this device".
I guess it is a better option than surgery for many people, but it's not like you'll be removing it out of your mouth easily like a mouth guard or retainer. A dentist needs to install it, and the user won't be able to easily take it out of their mouth although you'll be able to release the mouth clamp in the case of emergency. I'm not sure how you'd do that, but I guess there's an emergency button or emergency release somewhere, somehow inside of your mouth.
There's acute psychiatric side effects here as well, with Brunton adding: "Alternative strategies are required which may obviate surgery, or which reduce weight prior to surgery and so make it easier and safer. The beauty of it is that once patients are fitted with the device, after two or three weeks they can have the magnets disengaged. They could then have a period with a less restricted diet and then go back into treatment".