As I was watching the news, I instantly picked my head up when I heard of a balloon being used to counteract obesity. I thought back to psychology class and learning about bariatric surgery, obesity, and feelings of distention. Believe it or not, a study has been conducted where test subjects are swallowing balloons that are filled with liquid to take up space in their stomach, forcing them to eat less. This immediately made me think of the crazy, unsuccessful weight loss fads that are constantly surfacing the media. The effects of the balloon are similar to the effects of bariatric surgery, just without any surgical procedures. This procedure has been safe so far, and requires no incisions, just swallowing the balloon.

I searched online to find the article pertaining to what I saw on NBC news and found it here. It states, “after four months, 34 patients trying out the balloon lost an average of 22 pounds, or 37 percent of their excess weight. Their cholesterol and blood sugar levels also improved – something that usually happens when people lose even a little weight.” I was shocked to find out the successful results of this experiment. I was surprised that not only did people lose weight, but their overall health actually improved!

The only side effects noted so far have been nausea and vomiting, but these are standard to any type of bariatric-like procedure that involves any type of interference with the stomach. Because of a constant unsuccess with diets and dieting pills, will this balloon procedure be the new cure to obesity? Ranging from $6,000 to $12,000, this procedure could be a bit pricy, but if the effects are actually contracting obesity, I am interested to see where this leads in the future of ending obesity.