Almost everyone today is obsessed with their weights. Everyone wants to have the perfect summer body for their Instagrams. There are many Instagram models who endorse various products and diets. Some weight-losing products and diets are also endorsed by celebrities like the Kardashians and Oprah Winfrey. The latest method to lose weight is probably not something that celebrities would endorse. However, Jimmy Fallon has joked about it on his show.
Located in San Diego, California, an engineering-driven medical technology company by the name of Obalon has come up with a high-quality gastric balloon that would help reduce weight. The balloon is strictly meant for adults with a body mass index between 30 kg/m2 and 40 kg/m2 and also requires a commitment of six months, with a daily ingestion of acid-blocking medicines. The side effects are quite normal, mild abdominal pains and nausea, typically resolved in two weeks.
The balloon is ingested as a capsule and inflated by the physician. The process is repeated after a month and then after two months again. The balloons are removed by endoscopy after six months of the first ingestion under light conscious sedation. The balloons take up space in the stomach and help the patient not feel the need to fill up as much. The cost of the treatment ranges between $6000 and $9000. In combination with a perfect diet and regular exercise, the balloon system would lead to a long-term loss in weight.
One of the first doctors to use the system in the United States, Dr. Stevens reports that new potential patients are coming in every week to take part in the program. He also says that he is sure that many people in Hollywood who are using the tool to prepare for upcoming movies and others are using it to get back to their pre-baby bodies. The whole process takes about 10 minutes to initiate and the balloons themselves float at the top of the stomach, weighing about three grams.
Jimmy Fallon became the first celebrity to joke about the program on his show and Dr. Stevens says that Obalon would surely have celebrities as their customers.
