Patent ID: 8538533

Claim:
A method for treating obesity comprising: positioning a first electrode on a vagus nerve of an obese patient at a location below a vagal innervation of the heart, with the vagus nerve innervating at least one alimentary tract organ; treating the patient's obesity by measuring a vagal nerve activity and sending a signal that represents activity of said vagus nerve to an implanted controller; and applying an electrical treatment signal to the electrode using the implanted controller with the electrical treatment signal having: a) a frequency selected for said signal to at least partially downregulate nerve impulses on said vagal nerve, wherein said signal has a frequency in excess of 200 Hz, and without simultaneously applying a neural impulse-inducing secondary electrical signal to the vagus nerve on a proximal side of said location whenever the electrical treatment signal is applied; and b) a plurality of on-times separated by a plurality of off-times, said signal applied during said on-times and not applied during said off-times, wherein duration of the off-times are each selected to end upon receipt at the implanted controller of a signal that represents at least 50% of the activity of said vagal nerve as compared to baseline.