The experimental stomach "pacer" is implanted in the abdomen, with its two electrodes attached to the stomach wall. It's a less drastic approach to obesity surgery than gastric bypass.

Scott Shikora and the obesity surgical group at the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston are now beginning large scale clinical trials of the latest surgical approach to weight loss. As seen in the relatively simple procedure, the stomach "pacer" — similar to a heart pacemaker — is implanted just under the skin of the abdomen and connected to electrodes attached to the stomach. Regular, imperceptible electric pulses create a feeling of fullness, for reasons not fully understood.

Profiled in the segment is Bill, who received one of the first experimental stomach pacers. With the pacer in place, Bill was able to control his constant "grazing" eating behavior. For the first time, and after many failed dieting attempts, Bill was able to lose substantial weight -- seventy pounds -- and keep it off.

Compared to the other surgical procedures, the stomach pacer is a very low-risk device. If it's approved for general use, the pacer may provide a surgical approach to weight loss that could work for groups that are a serious part of the obesity epidemic, like children or the elderly, but for whom major surgery is too drastic a step.