Much has been written about gastric balloons and how effective they may or not be for some people. And last week a new gastric balloon was introduced to the market from Obalon in the form of a pill that can easily be swallowed. The idea of gastric balloon is that it inflates in the stomach, thus reducing the amount of space and making the person feel they are full. It is a way for overweight people to achieve rapid weight loss without invasive surgery.
Currently the pill is only available under private prescription and at a price of up to £4000 – for a course of three ballons. And it is targeted specifically for people with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of over 27, and who have failed to lose weight through a diet and exercise plan.
The product is definitely not a quite fix and is not suitable for people with various conditions such as type 1 diabetes, women who are or plan to become pregnant, and those with gastro disorders. As the product is very new on the market it is too soon to say exactly how safe it is compared to other similar treatments. To find out more details on how the pill works read here on NHS Choices.
What are your views on this new form of pill and balloon? Do you think it can really help people to lose weight long term or is it a quick fix potentially at the risk of a person’s health? Let us know what you think here…..
talkhealth
This is the talkhealth blog spot, where we post on a wide range of health conditions, topics, issues and concerns. We post when we see something that we believe is of interest to our visitors. Our posts do not reflect any particular view or standpoint of talkhealth, but are merely to raise attention and awareness.
Join with Google
Join with Facebook