The silicone balloon developed by a San Diego-based firm works by filling up the stomach which makes the brain think the tummy is full, curbing appetite.
The silicone balloon is packed inside a gelatine capsule that dissolves within minutes of reaching the stomach. It's then inflated by the doctor using a long thin tube, about the width of a piece of string, which is attached to the balloon at one end and protrudes from the patient's mouth at the other, the Daily Mail reported.
Air is pumped through the tube into the balloon until it reaches the size of a hamburger. The tube is then pulled to release it and a self-sealing valve traps the air inside the balloon so that it does not deflate.
It takes five minutes to inflate and the patient does not need to be sedated or have an anaesthetic.
The new treatment has already been approved for use in the UK and could become available within the next year or so.
Although gastric balloons are already used in the treatment of obesity, they are not without problems. These work on the same principle as the capsule but are inserted surgically.
It also requires a special type of probe