Gastric Balloon May Be Answer To Weight Loss For The Desperate Obese

Swallowing a balloon-pill may prove to be an effective weight loss technique, according to a new study. The “procedureless” gastric balloon is ingested as a capsule – dubbed “Elipse” by manufacturer Allurion Technologies – that is then “inflated” with 550 ml of liquid. In the study, patients who kept the balloon in place for four months lost 37 percent of their excess weight. The device is not considered a permanent solution to weight loss, but it does have the potential to help people who are overweight or obese but are not candidates for bariatric surgery. After four months, a valve opens on its own, releasing the liquid that is then excreted naturally.