I am 25 kg overweight, but after dieting, I always revert to my old bad habits, and regain any weight lost. I would appreciate it if you could provide information on having a balloon inserted in my stomach to assist with weight loss.
A technique is being used by a small number of specialist doctors, in which a tube with a deflated balloon at its end is swallowed. Once in the stomach, the balloon is inflated, to fill up approximately three-quarters of the stomach volume. The tube is removed, and the balloon can remain in place for weeks or months.
While present, the balloon fools the stomach into believing that it is already full, thus reducing the appetite and desire to eat. The obvious aim is to reduce the calorie (kilojoule) intake of the patient to the point where they lose weight.
There are complications with the procedure. It is possible for the stomach to become inflamed, ulcers to develop, the outlet from the stomach may become blocked, uncontrollable vomiting may occur, and in very rare instances the stomach may rupture.
Obesity and overeating in some people is a habit that is extremely hard to control, and they continue to eat, and further expand the stomach, despite the presence of the balloon. The balloon cannot remain in place permanently, and once it is removed, those who may have lost a great deal of weight often start gorging again and regain all the lost weight.
There is no easy answer to obesity—only lots of different difficult and/or expensive ones. The cheapest and most effective is self-discipline, diet and exercise—but that is certainly not an easy option.

I am 18 years old, female, slightly underweight, very attractive and have a perfect figure. I can eat anything I like and still maintain my figure. How long will it be before I start to put on weight every time I eat something fattening?
I am delighted that you have such self-confidence in your appearance, but I would suggest that you act cautiously around any friends who are even slightly overweight or who have a figure a little less spectacular than your own, or you may not live long enough to find out if you will ever become fat and flabby!
The best way to find out if you will have a weight problem in the future is to look at your parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts. If they are overweight, then you have a high risk of following in their footsteps. Your weight is determined by several factors including inherited tendencies, the metabolic rate of your body (rate at which cells burn energy) and obviously your diet and exercise level.
You should decide on an ideal weight, and merely eat a nutritious diet, low in fatty and processed foods until you reach that weight, be that in a few months or a few years. Once ar that weight, modify your food intake and exercise level to maintain that weight.

I have heard that when tablets containing cider vinegar, kelp, vitamin B6 and lecithin are taken along with a sensible diet and no extra exercise, you lose weight fast—12 lb in two weeks. Is this true?
There is no easy way to lose weight, and anyone who believes in the above formula will also believe in the tooth fairy and Easter bunny!
There is a simple (but not easy) way to lose weight—eat less and exercise more. This method has the great advantage of being not only effective, but cheap! Millions of dollars are spent by Australians every year on special diets, magic formulas, ‘guaranteed’ tablets, patent mixtures, acupuncture, hypnotherapy and quack remedies in order to lose weight. None of these are more effective than the simple formula of eat less and exercise more; all are more expensive, some may be harmful, and none work long term.
Being overweight is not a crime, although women’s magazines make it seem to be, as all have diets of some type or other. You do not have to look like Princess Diana to be acceptable in society. There are no medical risks in being up to 20% greater than average weight for your height, age and sex. Only over 40% greater than average weight do medical risks become significant.
The most important factor in your weight is your choice in parents, followed by your diet and exercise levels.
Many fat people should accept their weight, avoid gaining any more, and not damage their health by yo-yoing up and down by ten kilos every few months as they go on and off diets. This is more damaging to health than staying overweight.
If you plan to lose weight, start on a sensible diet that you can maintain for years to come, exercise regularly, and certainly do not try to lose 12 lb in two weeks!