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Swallow An FDA-Approved Balloon And Get Trim?

Mar 6, 2017

You read that right! It's called Obalon, and it's a swallowable balloon—three actually, and each weighs less than a penny. Designed for people who are at least 30 pounds overweight and who have tried diet and exercise, it actually works, and it's recently been FDA-approved for weight loss: and there are studies to prove it. Would you do it? For more details, read on.

What Is It?

A non-surgical treatment consisting of three lightweight swallowable balloons placed gradually inside your stomach over a period of three months. Patients swallow a capsule containing a small balloon and then a physician inflates the balloon while it’s inside your stomach.

Who Is It For?

For people who have failed to lose weight through diet and exercise and are at least 30 pounds overweight. It is intended to be used as an adjunct to diet and fitness, not in place of.

How Does It Work?

The balloon treatment takes six months. Basically the swallowable balloons take up space in your stomach—pretty simple. But this isn’t supposed to be an easy way out, it’s supposed to be an “assist” with weight loss efforts. In a large clinical study, the Obalon Balloon System was shown to help adults experience clinically meaningful weight loss. Patients lost twice as much weight as diet and exercise alone. Six months after the balloons were removed, 89% of the weight lost was kept off, when combined with diet and exercise. At the end of the 6-month treatment period, all three balloons are removed by a brief, approximately 15 minute, outpatient endoscopic procedure which is performed under light, conscious sedation.

Image: Obalon Instagram

There are a few other things you can do for those stubborn post-diet-and-exercise bits: body contouring. Still on that exercise program? Try the best of streaming fitness classes—they're awesome.

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