Melissa Amos, a 45-year-old mother of three, found herself classified as obese despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle that included yoga and long walks. Her weight had increased to over 13 stone from under 11 stone, a change she attributes partly to increased snacking on items like chocolate and cheese as she entered her 40s.
Her journey to address her weight began unexpectedly with a dental issue. In March of the previous year, she visited her dentist concerned about a protruding front tooth. The dentist recommended Invisalign, a system of removable clear plastic aligners designed to straighten teeth. While typically costing between £1,500 and £5,500 and worn for about 18 months, Invisalign is used by hundreds of thousands of Britons.
Amos is among a growing number of Invisalign patients who have reported an unintended benefit: weight loss. Patients are advised to wear the aligners for at least 22 hours a day, during which time eating is impossible. Amos noted that the commitment to her treatment made her more conscious of her eating habits. "My dentist said that if I wasn’t consistent from the beginning, it would affect the entire course of my treatment," she stated.
This requirement to remove the aligners for eating prompted Amos to re-evaluate her snacking. "I sometimes used food as a distraction or a way of soothing myself. Since I had to take the Invisalign out every time I wanted to eat, each time I got the urge to snack I had to stop and ask myself, 'Am I genuinely hungry, or am I trying to change how I feel?'" she explained.
This change in behavior had a direct impact on her weight. Within a month of starting Invisalign, she lost over 2 pounds. As she continued to lose weight, Amos, who works as a mental wellbeing coach, felt more motivated to exercise. She rediscovered her enjoyment of walking and began weight training, capitalizing on her increased energy. She also refined her diet with the help of AI, identifying a need for more protein. "Now, I eat much more protein-based foods like eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese and peanut butter. I feel more satisfied and less hungry," she said.
To date, Amos has lost approximately two stone and expects to lose more before completing her treatment. She also reports significant improvements in her teeth, bite, and jaw alignment. Dr. Daniel Sutcliffe, founder of The Bespoke Dentist in London, confirmed that many patients have commented on weight loss during their Invisalign treatment. "When every snack means removing your trays, the biscuit simply isn’t worth the hassle. It adds a little hurdle between you and the biscuit tin," he observed.