Obesity 'game changer' in new procedure that burns lining of the stomach and ... trends now
An experimental new weight loss procedure that 'silences' hunger hormones by burning off part of the stomach is said to be a game-changer in obesity treatment.
North Carolina doctors found that the technique, which involves a small cut in the stomach, can help patients lose up to 26 pounds in just six months.
The operation reduces stomach capacity by 42 percent, resulting in a 30 percent drop in hunger pangs.
Experts say that destroying part of the hunger lining limits the body's production of the hunger hormone ghrelin, helping them lose almost a tenth of their body weight.
It is also less intensive than other surgical weight loss interventions, such as a gastric bypass or a gastric sleeve, and has long-lasting effects unlike blockbuster weight loss drug Ozempic.
Doctors in North Carolina performed the experimental procedure in which a camera is inserted in the stomach, injects the area with fluid to protect tissues, while burning off the top layer of the stomach lining where the hunger hormone is produced
Brooke Nelson was one of 10 people who underwent the minimally-invasive procedure, and said she has lost 26 pounds over six months, bringing her weight to 183 pounds
One patient who went from 209 pounds to 183 in just six months following the procedure also remarked that her food preferences changed.
‘The constant just wanting of food has drastically decreased,' she said. 'There’s still moments where I want a chocolate chip cookie but there’s a lot more moments where I find myself wanting something like greens.’
Obesity is a major public health threat in the US, affecting around 40 percent of Americans, for whom it dramatically increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Despite new medical treatments such as the injectable drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, doctors say further options are still needed, as these medicines come with side effects and are in scarce supply.
The new procedure, known as endoscopic mucosal ablation, targets the hunger hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, causing some people to over eat.
The experimental technique reduced ghrelin levels in patients by up to 40 percent and saw patients drop 7.7 percent a year after the procedure.
When people lose weight, the body perceives an energy deficit and prompts the reast of hormones like ghrelin to increase appetite and store more food as fat.
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Doctors at True You Weight Loss, a clinic based in North Carolina, said ablation begins when the doctors insert a camera into the stomach and inject it with fluid to protect underlying
