A weight loss pill that releases a gastric balloon into a patient’s stomach when it is swallowed has been launched in the UK. While other gastric balloons require invasive surgery, the new 10-minute treatment involves the patient consuming a capsule the size of a large vitamin. When the capsule containing the balloon reaches the patient’s stomach, the ball is inflated to the size of an apple using an attached micro-catheter – a type of thin medical tube. The capsule then dissolves. Similarly to other gastric weight-loss treatments, as the balloon sits on top of the patient’s stomach they feel full, and therefore eat less and should lose weight. Patients consume a second balloon 30 days later, and, depending on their progress, can receive a third balloon after further 30 days. When the treatment is over, the balloons are deflated and removed using a thin, long, flexible tube which is inserted into the patient’s throat. The balloons are considered to be short-term treatments in compa