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Losing just 5% of your weight can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. What a study on the gastric balloon as a way out of the yo-yo effect shows.
Medically reviewed byDr. med. Hans Werner SudholtSpecialist in internal medicineLast updated:
Overweight and obesity increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. This risk can be significantly reduced with a weight loss of just 5% – and quality of life can improve noticeably as a result.
There are hundreds of fad diets and even more weight-loss products. Many of them, however, do not address the cause and therefore usually lead to renewed weight gain – the well-known yo-yo effect.
The gastric balloon can be an alternative for breaking this cycle. Gastric balloons have been in use since the 1990s and have been steadily improved over the decades; today they are widely used in clinics and practices.
A research group led by Nicholas R. Fuller investigated how a gastric balloon affects the weight and health of people with obesity. The study lasted 12 months and included 66 participants aged between 18 and 60 with an average BMI of 36 kg/m². All of them had had obesity for more than 7 years and had not previously completed a supervised weight-loss programme – not even a conventional diet with exercise.
The participants were randomly divided equally into two groups:
Both groups received the same programme: a pedometer with a target of at least 10,000 steps a day and close support from a nutrition specialist, who gave tips on healthy eating and a tailored exercise programme.
Fuller and his team evaluated the participants’ weight loss, eating behaviour and quality of life over 12 months. The most important results:
The figures are averages from one study. Results vary from person to person.
The study suggests that a gastric balloon can be a safe and effective aid to weight loss for people with overweight and obesity. The balloon fills part of the stomach and can thus strengthen the feeling of fullness: you take in fewer calories at meals, and weight loss is encouraged – within 6 months, significant weight loss may become possible in this way.
At the same time, the risk of related conditions can fall, quality of life can rise and healthier eating can become easier. What matters here is the accompanying programme: the balloon gives you time to practise new habits that last even after it has been removed.
Which balloon and which duration suit you – for example the gastric balloon for 6 months or the gastric balloon for 1 year – we clarify in the consultation.
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* For patients with German statutory health insurance: if the medical indication is established in line with the DGAV guidelines, reimbursement may be possible.
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