People dealing with obesity may soon turn to a gas-filled balloon pill in solving their weight loss woes.
The swallowable balloon called Obalon is said to aid people eat less. Results of studies that tested its effects showed better weight loss success. In fact, people whose body mass index (BMI) rate was between 30 to 40 exhibited a 7 percent weight loss on the average, after experiencing the Obalon 6-Month Balloon System.
"Our research shows that the studied balloon system can help patients lose almost twice as much weight compared with lifestyle changes alone," says study lead author Shelby Sullivan from the Washington University School of Medicine.
Investigating The Effects Of The Balloon
The team conducted studies at 15 U.S. sites, where they randomly appointed 387 participants to either the treatment or control group.
Treatment group subjects were instructed to take in one Obalon pill every week for three weeks. After swallowing the pill, the balloon inside it will be inflated with 250 cubic centimeters of nitrogen-based gas via a small tube connected to it.
Control group participants were also asked to take in the same amount of capsules for the same time period, but for this group, the pills given contained only sugar. They, however, also underwent the same gas-filling process so that they would remain unaware that they are the controls.
Results showed that the average weight loss of treatment group members were 6.81 percent, which is significantly higher than the 3.59 percent of the control group.
Also, a minimum of 5 percent overall body weight loss was higher among the treatment than in the control group, with a 64.3 percent and 32 percent rate respectively.
Sullivan believes that when this system is applied in an actual setting, people will experience more than what has been documented in their study. This is based on previous data showing that weight-loss methods result in better outcomes in real life than in clinical tests.
Obesity Situation
The findings of the study came at a time when more and more people fail to attain their weight loss objectives with diet modifications and physical activity.
The international obesity rates persist to rise, with over 640 million people considered obese and more overweight people documented than normal or underweight individuals.
The study was presented at the Digestive Disease Week 2016.
