Excited about new diet drug? This procedure seems better choice.

Interest in the latest generation of weight-loss drugs shows no sign of flagging, but a new study shows that a minimally invasive endoscopic bariatric procedure is actually more cost-effective and helps shed more pounds.

Researchers say it has been overshadowed as a treatment option due to the popularity of the new medications and deserves more widespread consideration.

“I wouldn’t characterize [the new medications’] usage as overextended, as many payers have already implemented restrictions on access. Rather, their current pricing structure is disproportionate to their value,” said Jagpreet Chhatwal, associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and an author of the study. “There are other, more effective weight-loss options like ESG, which are minimally invasive and should be considered along with medications. These have been overshadowed by the excitement about the recent GLP-1 weight-loss medications.”