The balloon you swallow to help you shed weight
Elipse system ‘could benefit millions’
A GASTRIC balloon that is simply swallowed like a pill and then inflated in the stomach has been hailed as a magic bullet for slimmers.
Researchers said the hi-tech device, which makes you feel full and deflates after four months, led to “substantial weight loss” in trials.
Obese users shed around a third of their excess body weight, with those aged 27 to 67 losing an average 2st 4lb.
Unlike existing gastric products, no surgery is required to insert or remove the Elipse balloon – which has already been approved in the UK and is being showcased at the European Congress on Obesity in Porto, Portugal.
Dr Roberta Ienca, pictured, of Sapienza University of Rome, said: “This may make it suitable for a larger population of obese patients not responding to diet or lifestyle treatment.” She said patients had “improvements in overall metabolic health, including blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar control”. Once the deflated balloon, made from a polymer film, has reached the stomach, it is filled with water via an attached catheter, which is then detached. After 16 weeks, a valve film opens and it collapses, passing through the digestive system. The cost is £2,200 to £3,400 – less than half that of gastric band surgery. The balloon is not yet on the NHS but is available at private clinics. Obesity now costs the NHS £16billion a year. It is trialling similar balloon pills. Prof Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, said: “Potentially millions could benefit. I think if studies are there and it’s cost-effective…I think it should be considered on the NHS.” Dr Simon Cork of Imperial College London added: “A device which doesn’t require surgery is a positive step forward.”