New Obesity Treatment: Gas-Filled Balloons

A new obesity treatment that involves swallowing a capsule that contains a balloon may help people lose more weight than they would by just dieting, a new study suggests. In the study, 185 obese people (with a body mass index of 30 to 40), received the balloon treatment, called the Obalon 6-Month Balloon System. After six months, participants in the balloon group lost an average of 6.8 percent of their body weight, compared to an average of 3.5 percent in the sham group.