Doctors tout surgical method that stops fat people ballooning

Placing a water balloon inside the stomach to suppress the appetite is being touted as a way for obese people to lose about 16kg in six months.

The treatment, known as intragastric balloon, was the least invasive procedure to reduce weight so far, said Wilfred Mui Lik-man, honorary clinical assistant professor of the department of surgery at Chinese University.

Doctors put a deflated balloon inside the stomach by using an endoscope and fill it with saline. It takes about 30 minutes and leaves patients feeling full even after eating a small amount of food.

It is seen as an alternative to common surgical procedures such as a gastric belt, which is strapped around the stomach like a belt, and intestinal bypass operations to reduce food intake. Dr Mui said the treatment was suited to obese people whose medical condition means they must lose weight but cannot undergo surgery.

The balloon method began to grow popular in Europe about five years ago, and last November the university became the first institute in Asia to offer the procedure. Since then, 48 patients have received it, losing on average 16kg - about 15 per cent of their original weight.

'The purpose of the treatment is to change the eating habits of patients. It is very common for people to gobble their food down within a short period of time,' Dr Mui explained.