# Alternative to surgery to bypass your stomach - balloon **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 10, 2020, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230 "2020-01-10T17:12:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![komolono](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/komolono/32/532_2.png) [@komolono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/komolono)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/1 "2020-01-10T17:12:56Z")
I’m afraid of dentists, spiders, snakes and so on but I know I should loose weight…so is there an alternative for surgery. My idea is to swallow an empty balloon and fill it after it is in my empty stomach. Any concerns? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/2 "2020-01-10T17:20:01Z")
Why not just eat less / exercise more? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/3 "2020-01-10T17:24:50Z")
There are various non-surgical interventions for obesity. Gastric balloon - already mentioned by OP. Fill it up inside the stomach. Problem is I think it only lasts 6 months. > **[Intragastric balloon - Mayo Clinic](https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/intragastric-balloon/about/pac-20394435)** > > An intragastric balloon is a silicone balloon filled with saline. It's inserted into the stomach to create a feeling of fullness and aid in weight loss. Endoluminal sleeves - a sleeve that is implanted via the mouth that blocks off the duodenum so it can’t absorb nutrients. Works mostly the same as rerouting the intestines to bypass the duodenum but is removable and can be done outpatient [https://www.yourbariatricsurgeryguide.com/endoluminal-sleeve/](https://www.yourbariatricsurgeryguide.com/endoluminal-sleeve/) fullsense - this one will be great if it works out. Not sure if it has FDA clearance yet. Its basically a stent shaped like an inverted umbrella you have implanted through your mouth, that attaches to your esophagus and the top of your stomach. The stent places pressure on stretch receptors at the top of the stomach, which sends fullness sensations to the brain. In a pilot study, people lost 80% of their excess weight in the first 6 months and were still losing weight. That is better than any other surgery option out there. And its cheaper, safer with fewer side effects compared to gastric surgery. I hope this device works out, it could be a game changer. > **[Home Page](https://bfkw.org/)** > > Check out http://bfkw.org! Home Page > **[Latest | Bariatric News](https://www.bariatricnews.net/?q=node%2F102)** > > Bariatric News reports on research, technology, events, policy, and clinical studies within the bariatric specialty. You can also access annual meetings and events, interviews with prominent bariatric experts, and debates between specialists on... ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/4 "2020-01-10T17:27:38Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Why not just eat less / exercise more? Same reason why alcoholics and addicts don’t just stop. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/5 "2020-01-10T17:36:18Z")
deleted, weird double post 12 minutes apart for no discernible reason ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/6 "2020-01-10T18:08:01Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Same reason why alcoholics and addicts don’t just stop. With the added bonus that you _have_ to eat to survive, making it even harder. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/7 "2020-01-10T18:59:41Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Same reason why alcoholics and addicts don’t just stop. beowulff said to eat less–not to stop eating entirely. ---
**Author:** ![komolono](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/komolono/32/532_2.png) [@komolono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/komolono)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/8 "2020-01-10T19:00:27Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Problem is I think it only lasts 6 months. ] I think I can afford it - it is about 15 cents twice a year. Did I suggest that I’m poor… ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/9 "2020-01-10T19:18:05Z")
> [@komolono](#): > > I think I can afford it - it is about 15 cents twice a year. Did I suggest that I’m poor… The actual intragastric balloon is about 5k or so and is made of a special material so it doesn’t go down the digestive system or get digested in the stomach. To my knowledge you have to get it deflated and replaced at six months. No idea if they are working on a permanent model instead. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/10 "2020-01-10T19:19:52Z")
I was going to joke: “why not just swallow a tapeworm?”. But now I wonder why that isn’t done instead. I presume there is a cure for a tapeworm. So it seems safer than surgery. And the doctors could still charge for monitoring (the tapeworm would be cheap, but they could insist on xrays or whatever to make sure it doesn’t get too big for “safety”, to satisfy their profit goals). ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/11 "2020-01-10T19:54:51Z")
Tapeworms have been used for dieting. But they can be dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/12 "2020-01-10T20:06:24Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Tapeworms have been used for dieting. But they can be dangerous. Yeah, but so is surgically making your stomach smaller. The doctors want to make a profit. So why isn’t “swallow a tapeworm, and because that is dangerous, pay the doctors to monitor / eventually give you antibiotics” an option offered by the medical industry? Is it just accidental: tapeworms were outlawed before sufficient medical progress to make them “safe enough”. Then surgery advanced to make decreasing the size of your stomach a medical option. And/or the FDA is now more “loosey goosey”. But no one revisited tapeworms? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/13 "2020-01-10T20:33:21Z")
> [@Jim\_Peebles](#): > > Yeah, but so is surgically making your stomach smaller. The doctors want to make a profit. So why isn’t “swallow a tapeworm, and because that is dangerous, pay the doctors to monitor / eventually give you antibiotics” an option offered by the medical industry? Is it just accidental: tapeworms were outlawed before sufficient medical progress to make them “safe enough”. Then surgery advanced to make decreasing the size of your stomach a medical option. And/or the FDA is now more “loosey goosey”. But no one revisited tapeworms? Tapeworm infestations are noted for causing megaloblastic anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, and intestinal obstruction. A sensation of the movement of the tapeworms through the anus is also common. There may be associated symptoms including nausea, anorexia, or epigastric pain. Anxiety, headache, dizziness, and urticaria can also occur. A peripheral eosinophilia (up 15 percent) may be observed. The tapeworms can also enter the pancreatic duct and common bile duct and interfere with function. Occasionally tapeworms are vomited and then aspirated into the lungs where they then may multiply for a little while. Plus, they’re not real reliable for inducing weight loss. That generally only happens if the person gets debilitated from the infestation, or is nutritionally compromised already due to lack of food. But otherwise, sure, go ahead, pop a few if you want. See what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/14 "2020-01-10T20:39:49Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Tapeworm infestations are noted for causing megaloblastic anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, and intestinal obstruction. A sensation of the movement of the tapeworms through the anus is also common. There may be associated symptoms including nausea, anorexia, or epigastric pain. Anxiety, headache, dizziness, and urticaria can also occur. A peripheral eosinophilia (up 15 percent) may be observed. The tapeworms can also enter the pancreatic duct and common bile duct and interfere with function. Occasionally tapeworms are vomited and then aspirated into the lungs where they then may multiply for a little while. > > Plus, they’re not real reliable for inducing weight loss. That generally only happens if the person gets debilitated from the infestation, or is nutritionally compromised already due to lack of food. > > But otherwise, sure, go ahead, pop a few if you want. See what happens. I’m not trying to lose weight. If anything I could stand to gain a few pounds. If I were obese I would hire a personal trainer, as it seems much safer, and probably just as much effort (although I guess the effort with surgery is mostly in recovery when it is too late to back out). I suppose insurance might cover surgery but not a personal trainer. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/15 "2020-01-10T20:45:23Z")
> [@komolono](#): > > I think I can afford it - it is about 15 cents twice a year. Did I suggest that I’m poor… Are you of the opinion that a 15 cent party balloon will be safe and effective in your stomach? If so, go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/16 "2020-01-10T20:51:35Z")
[Moderating] Since this is asking for advice, let’s move it to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/17 "2020-01-10T20:53:13Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Are you of the opinion that a 15 cent party balloon will be safe and effective in your stomach? If so, go for it. Yeah it sounds like you are headed for emergency surgery. Why not research high volume, low calorie foods? That seems safer than a balloon, but almost the same effect. And I bet there are already websites talking about such a diet. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/18 "2020-01-10T21:08:36Z")
Intermittent fasting is the answer. It’s not what you eat, it’s when you eat. I recommend going on a 3X42 protocol, fasting for 42 hours three days a week with at least two meals between fasting periods. Fasting means fasting, no food, no liquids except water and black coffee or tea, no sweeteners of any kind, including no caloric. All of them provoke an insulin response, which is what you’re trying to avoid. Go out and get a copy of _The Obesity Code_ by Jason Fung. He’s a nephrologist from Toronto. Be careful, there’s a lot of look-a-like versions that want to sell you a synopsis, you want the full version. It’s cheap too, cheaper than eating, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/19 "2020-01-10T21:24:38Z")
I didn’t realize he was talking about something he was actually going to try at first. But as an IMHO, I would say: different diets will work for different people. A balloon is dangerous. But the direct diet analogue is to eat an inflated balloon’s volume of low calorie food instead of what you normally would. That isn’t to say psychologically that will work for you. So maybe the intermitant fasting someone else suggested will. My belief is the surgery options “work” (sometimes) because it is a diet you can’t back out of (after the surgery). ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230/20 "2020-01-10T21:49:27Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Intermittent fasting is the answer. It’s not what you eat, it’s when you eat. I recommend going on a 3X42 protocol, fasting for 42 hours three days a week with at least two meals between fasting periods. > > Fasting means fasting, no food, no liquids except water and black coffee or tea, no sweeteners of any kind, including no caloric. All of them provoke an insulin response, which is what you’re trying to avoid. Go out and get a copy of _The Obesity Code_ by Jason Fung. He’s a nephrologist from Toronto. Be careful, there’s a lot of look-a-like versions that want to sell you a synopsis, you want the full version. > > It’s cheap too, cheaper than eating, that’s for sure. A 42 hour fast is pretty extreme, and if you do that aren’t you only eating 6 meals a week? Are people able to sustain that? I thought the original idea for IF was one day on, one day off but they found that most people couldn’t maintain it so not people push ideas like a 16:8 or 20:4 or OMAD plan. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-surgery-to-bypass-your-stomach-balloon/846230.md?page=2)