Gastric surgery is without doubt the most extreme solution to obesity, as any surgery is risky and difficult to reverse. There are various different surgical options from gastric banding, which reduces the size of the stomach by making it into two pouches, to the gastric balloon, which is a silicone balloon that is passed into the stomach and filled up with water, making you feel more full.
Previously, the only non-surgical medical options to promote weight loss were slimming pills, but there is apparently now a new possibility that is being trialled - a plastic sleeve that lines a section of the gut and blocks the absorption of calories. As the sleeve is inserted through the mouth in a process that lasts less than half an hour, this removes the associated dangers of surgery. The sleeve is contained inside a capsule which is put in place via an endoscope. A catheter then pulls the flexible sleeve out and it is fixed using a spiked attachment. Should it be necessary to take out the device this can be done in only ten minutes.
The sleeve acts an impermeable barrier to stop food coming into contact with the intestinal wall, which limits the amount of sugar, calories and nutrients that the patient can absorb. Described variously as a ‘sock’, ‘plastic bag’ and ‘stomach condom’, it is hoped that as well as promoting weight loss it may also be of benefit to sufferers of type 2 diabetes. It is believed that due to changes in neural and hormonal signals sent from the gut, patients with this strain of diabetes will experience a rapid reversal of their condition even before they notice any weight loss.
The device is manufactured by GI Dynamics, a U.S company. They have just finished clinical trials involving 26 morbidly obese people who lost on average 3 times more weight than those who were not fitted with the sleeve and trials are continuing to see the more long term effects.
Now safer and more effective devices to encourage weight loss is always great news. However, personally I think the mere idea of having a big bag-sock-thing in my tummy would probably just put me off my food anyway, regardless of its calorie-blocking effects. And imagine the awkwardness of the conversations that might result; someone compliments you on your new slim-line shape and you get to respond, “Ah, yes - it’s all thanks to my giant new stomach condom, doncha know…”