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I saw the scary side effects of gastric balloon procedure – Milly Chebet

By Rajab Zawadi December 12th, 2023 2 min read

In a society often obsessed with instant results, content creator Milly Chebet made a pivotal decision in her weight loss journey, opting out of the alluring but controversial gastric balloon procedure that promised a quick fix.

With a weight of 120 kilograms and a desire for transformation, Milly was prepared to spend between Sh350,000 to Sh450,000 on the non-surgical, no-anesthesia procedure that involves ingesting a small, biodegradable balloon.

The balloon, once swallowed, expands in the stomach, inducing a feeling of fullness and reducing food intake over six months.

Last October, Milly shared her contemplation of the gastric balloon procedure on her Instagram stories, expressing her desperation to shed excess weight.

However, she had a change of heart at the last minute, choosing the longer but, for her, a more sustainable route – dieting and regular exercise.

“I almost did the gastric balloon (procedure), I was this close to doing it. A celebrity did it, and not Jackie (Matubia), I know with what has been going on between us people might start theories. I was supposed to do it at the same place, but once she ingested the balloon, what followed was chaos,” Milly revealed.

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The undisclosed celebrity experienced severe side effects, including illness, constant nausea, and an inability to eat for the first five days. Witnessing these struggles made Milly reconsider the seemingly easy way out.

“The celebrity fell ill, it was bad, she couldn’t eat for the first five days, always vomiting, having this constant nausea feeling. She was never comfortable. Watching how she struggled, and even though I really wanted the easiest way out, those side effects did scare me,” Chebet shared.

Instead, Milly embraced a disciplined approach to fitness, signing up for a gym program and finding a committed trainer. This shift proved revolutionary for her, addressing the lack of consistency she had faced in the past.

According to Dr. Pranav Pancholi, a cosmetic surgeon at Avane Cosmetic Clinics, the allurion gastric balloon procedure costs Sh450,000 and takes only 20 minutes to complete. The balloon, once ingested, naturally exits the body after six months, leaving no need for surgery or anesthesia.