The gastric balloon is a non-surgical weight-management treatment that involves passing a balloon through the patient's mouth down into the stomach. The balloon remains in the stomach for six months and is subsequently removed. Insertion and removal of the balloon are simple, noninvasive procedures that take only a few minutes.

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Once the balloon is in place, patients feel less hungry and are full more quickly. Since they do not consume as much food as before, this leads to weight loss. While this experience in itself may influence the perspective people have on food, the gastric balloon should be used alongside a behavior-change program for optimal results.