Introduction
More than 1.4 billion adults worldwide are overweight or obese. Such individuals often develop health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. A modest weight loss of 5 to 10 percent may be sufficient to delay or prevent the onset of diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses.
However, safe and effective weight loss therapies are not accessible to everyone, nor is every patient an appropriate candidate. Intragastric balloon therapy is a minimally invasive, temporary method of inducing weight loss. It relies upon a soft saline- or air-filled balloon(s) placed in the stomach to promote the feeling of fullness and reduce food intake thus result in weight loss.
Indications
The initial management of obesity is with lifestyle intervention. All patients who would benefit from weight loss should receive counseling on diet, exercise, sleep, and goals for weight loss.
Intragastric balloon therapy is an option for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 27 kg/m2 in Europe or 30 kg/m2 in the United States (US) who have tried and failed previous attempts at weight management with lifestyle changes alone.
