14 DAY TRIAL // One of the newest methods of losing weight, called Obalon, comes in the shape of a capsule that inflates like a balloon in the stomach to give users the sensation of fullness and help them eat less.
The new dieting method has been launched across the UK and US and it is believed to be very effective in helping patients with their weight loss plans. Unlike other methods, the Obalon is a gastric procedure that does not involve surgery and takes just 10 minutes to insert.
The capsule contains a deflated balloon attached to a tube that is inflated to the size of an apple once in the stomach. The capsule then dissolves and the tube is removed through the mouth.
The balloon is positioned right at the top of the stomach and it offers the feeling of fullness, preventing people from overindulging with food. It was designed to help people who don't qualify for weight loss surgery, explains Daily Mail.
After thirty days from the first procedure, the patient receives a second balloon to continue his / her treatment. Upon request, they can choose to have the third balloon inserted after sixty days, the maximum period of use being of three months.
At the end of the treatment and several months of use, the balloons are deflated and removed from the patient's stomach. The Obalon must not be kept for more than ninety days, the period being long enough to make one's dieting changes solid enough to be maintained without the balloons.
Trials have already begun in private practices in the US and the UK and the price of a two-balloon treatment starts from $5,000 (€3,700). Tests have shown that a patient can lose an average of 3lbs (7.7 kg) in 12 weeks of treatment.
There are also a few side-effects noticed in the first few days, like cramps or reflux and vomiting, until the body adjusts with the foreign mass. The benefits of the Obalon are mostly based on the fact that the procedure is not invasive and is estimated to help people on the long-term.