Full of hot air

It’s easily the most horrifying use of balloons I’ve seen yet.

In case you haven’t heard, modern technology has come up with a new gruesome way to battle obesity. Just insert a chain of balloons into your gut!

You read that right. A new device has entered the market as a non-surgical alternative to procedures like gastric bypass or the lap band. But I assure you, it’s no less cringe-worthy.

Here’s how it works: A doctor inserts this implant–essentially a wire with a series of balloons along its length–through your mouth, past your upper digestive tract, and into your duodenum (that is, your upper small intestine).

Once there, the balloons reduce the diameter of your small intestine, restricting the flow of food through it. This tricks your body into a feeling of fullness. And, researchers say, it reduces insulin release, too.

Clinical trials show that patients fitted with this new balloon-chain device lost as much as 12 percent of their body weight within three months. Which means that yes, it is quite effective.

But you know what else is effective? My New Hamptons Health Miracle and regular exercise.

And I promise, neither of these strategies require swallowing a string of balloons. All you have to do is make a commitment to take better care of yourself every day for the rest of your life.

How’s that for a novel weight-loss plan?

Source:
Dobson, Roger. “Balloon that fools your body’s calorie counter could help combat obesity” Daily Mail. 12 Nov 2012.