SAN DIEGO -- Obesity is a growing problem that is affecting nearly one-third of Americans, according to health experts.

But what if you could lose weight without dieting, exercising or gastric bypass surgery?

"We're looking for folks that have significant amounts of weight to lose, maybe 60 to 70 pounds or more, and have failed standard medical therapy," said Dr. Ken Fujioka of Scripps Clinic.

Fujioka and a team at Scripps Clinic are testing a new device that might be able to do just that.

Called V-Bloc Therapy, a device surgically inserted into the abdomen and blocks signals from the vagus nerve -- the nerve that sends hunger signals to your stomach.

"If you can just manipulate certain nerves going down to the fat or going down to the stomach or going down to the intestines that you in fact might be able to get somebody to lose weight when it's very hard for them to lose weight," said Fujioka.

The device can be turned off and on, and is placed inside your stomach in the abdominal cavity. But then a user wears something over it that actually controls it, like a belt. The belt will then signal to that device to work.

The study is taking place nationwide, including in San Diego.

"If it works in all these folks, they may be able to go to the Food and Drug Administration fairly soon," said Fujioka.

The goal is to help people win the battle of the bulge.

For more information on the study, click here.