Treatment of Obesity: Is Intra-gastric Balloon a Choice?

With two out of every five or six people suffering from obesity--it has now come to be termed or seen more as a condition than disease. Earlier, "obesity" was very simply associated with "fat" or "overweight". However, today, it has come to be associated with a series of genetic, psychological, environmental and other factors impacting the appetite regulation in an individual. Though the exact cause of this condition is yet to be identified--lifestyle, heredity and body composition are considered to be the prime culprits here. The disorder refers to a certain condition in an individual when the level of fat in his body has exceeded acceptable (as far as health is concerned) parameters so as to affect his health as well as psychological framework. Obesity makes a person vulnerable to many diseases including diabetes, heart diseases and related problems.

Medication therapy has been considered ineffective as a treatment of morbid or severe obesity. Experts opine that though long term medication might help you to lose around 11- 20 pounds on an average, you do run the risk of regaining those kilos after withdrawing the medicine.

Laparoscopic surgery has emerged as a very popular approach to weight reduction. This surgery entails the insertion of a small video camera in to the abdomen of the individual so that the surgeon can see the entire operation being conducted. It is almost a pain-free process that allows the patient to bounce back to the pre-surgery activities of life much faster than open surgeries do. However, today within the scope of this post we will discuss about a prominent non-surgical approach to treat obesity or achieve obesity control and that is Intragastric Balloon.

A gastric balloon generally aids you to reduce weight by aiming to minimize your feeling of hunger. It does this by helping you to feel fuller even after the intake of smaller meals. So, there is no invasive surgery required and you're back in shape without having to undergo the inevitable bouts of fear before a surgery.

Also, known as the gastric balloon, this device is a expandable, tender, prosthetic and silicone balloon that is inserted to your stomach through your mouth, via endoscopy, with or without the help of sedation.

You are treated by an experienced specialist and the entire process might take around 20-30 minutes to get over. The medical practitioner, in question, here will of course discuss the procedure with you and suggest other options (if there is any). There is some minor diet regulation that needs to be maintained after the device is inserted in your body. The first week should see you thriving on liquid and puree. After the first week, you can start with solid diet with a go-ahead from your nutritionist. The balloon would be placed for around six months during which your condition would be monitored by your nutritionist.

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