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A new weight-loss device that scores high on the “yuck” scale may also score well on the effectiveness scale — at least in the short term. The AspireAssist device lets an individual pump food out of his or her stomach directly into the toilet after a meal. The calories get flushed away before they can be turned into body fat. It’s a way of eating less without actually eating less. It was recently approved by the FDA for obese adults who haven’t been able to lose weight with other nonsurgical approaches. (Skerrett, 7/8)

Legal challenges are mounting against the Food and Drug Administration’s move to regulate cigars and e-cigarettes, which for the first time would be treated just like traditional tobacco products under new rules. As many as five lawsuits have been filed against the agency over the rules finalized in May that require products hitting store shelves after February 2007 to go through a costly approval process. (Wheeler, 7/10)