NHS Offers Gastric Balloon Weight Loss Procedure for the First Time

The non-surgical treatment, which helps patients feel fuller and eat less, has been successfully administered to two patients at Musgrove Park Hospital, Somerset.

Obese patients have taken a water balloon weight loss pill on the NHS for the first time.
The treatment involves swallowing a capsule with a balloon inside that is then filled with a pint of water, which works to create a sense of fullness from eating smaller amounts of food.
The 15-minute procedure does not require surgery, endoscopies or sedation, and so comes with less risk and expense.
In studies, the gastric balloon was shown to help patients lose up to 15 per cent of their weight within four months.
Two patients at Musgrove Park Hospital, Somerset, have been treated with this procedure on the NHS for the first time.