my poor beta

Question
I had heard before to try to use pieces of a pea as a sort of laxative.  I've tried several times to try to get him to eat the pieces but he won't.  Should I just not feed him for a week?  I don't wanna starve the poor boy but I don't want him to die either.  Do you have any ideas on how to get him to eat them?  
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-----Question-----
I have a beta that we have had for almost a year now. He's been doing great until the last couple of weeks when suddenly he got very bloated.  My husband thought I was overfeeding him..which I prob was. I was giving him a couple of pellets twice a day.  We change his water out frequently, it's never dirty.  His water temp is warm. I know they recommend 78- 80.  And I'm not sure if its that warm or not.  He's so bloated at this point you can almost see thru him and he is uable to swim to the bottom.  He stays right beside the water heater we have installed and floats near the top.  I have cut down his food to three or four pebble a day.  If there's anything you can recommend I would deeply appreciate it.  I love my little fish!  : )
-----Answer-----
Hello Pamela-

This sounds a lot like Dropsy, which is, unfortunately, fatal. But, there are a few things you can do if your fish is suffering from another illness (which is hard to discern unless your fish is showing other symptoms.)

1. - Stop feeding the pellets for about a week.
2. - During this time, feed him half of a skinned pea every other day (you may have to mush it up a little, but try not to get the tank too dirty. The pea will help empty his stomach as fast as possible.)
3. - Heat up the water to about 80 F (to stimulate his metabolism, you can use a desk lamp if you've got one)
4. - After a week without pellets, feed him two per day.
5. - Try to keep him active (use a mirror to stimulate the flare response.)

Hope this is helpful,
Amber Worman

Answer
Hello Pamela-

You can withhold food for up to a week without killing your fish from starvation. I would try feeding him the peas, however. Roll the pea in garlic powder; this is a natural appetite stimulant for fish and should encourage him to eat it.

Hope this is useful!
-Amber Worman