myWELLNESS® News — Douglas Payne MD

It seems everywhere you look problems with weight have become the the rule instead of the exception.  According to the CDC 34% of El Pasoans were obese in 2015 and 13.9% had diabetes.  Both numbers are higher than the national average.  By 2030 it is estimated that over 50% of Americans will be obese.  It's not hard to see why this happening.

The human body is an amazing machine.  Designed to "fuel up" during times of plenty and to survive lean times by using this stored fuel.  In fact, a single pound of our fat has enough energy to power us for a 26 mile run.  The problem is there are no lean times.  

I have spent the last 20 years trying to help patients lose weight.  This has included everything from doctor supervised workouts to prescription medications, strict diets and even surgery.  The problem is that all of this works for a small fraction of people but there hasn't been anything that works for the majority.  Until now.

Imagine if you could fill up 75% of your stomach for 6 months safely and without pain or suffering.  Imagine you could lose up to 50 pounds without a strict diet.  It sounds like a dream.  But it's not. 

In January 2017 the FDA approved the Obalon Weight Loss Balloon System.  The system uses 3 balloons that are swallowed in the office with zero downtime.  The 3 balloons occupy 75% of the stomach which allows the patient to become full with only a few bites of food.  The balloons stay in place for 6 months.  During that time, experts think the brain is re-wired to be satisfied with smaller portions.  Patients lose from 20 to 50 pounds and 89% maintain their weight loss 6 months after the balloons are removed.

I am incredibly excited to bring this new technology to El Paso.  Our first patient had their balloons placed in February of this year.  Many others quickly followed.  The results have been dramatic and consistent.  

For more information, please click the link above.