Liposuction to Remove Belly Fat and Even Increase Lifespan?

A recent study has found that women and men with a larger waistline are at greater risk for heart disease, asthma, and even dementia. Liposuction may help these women and men lose excess abdominal fat and transform themselves into healthy individuals, according to the Atlanta plastic surgeons at Plastic Surgery Center of the South. As many of us know and understand, being overweight or obese comes with a wide range of health risks. What a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has revealed is that carrying an excess amount of fat in the waist and abdominal area, even for women and men who are not technically overweight, causes individuals to be at a greater mortality risk. What this means is that weight concentrated in the midsection may be more detrimental to overall health than previously understood. This study concludes that women and men who have a significant amount of excess fat in the abdominal region face approximately twice the mortality risk as women and men with a low amount of fat in the same area.

Why Belly Fat Can Be Detrimental

Excess fat in the abdomen and through the waistline is indicative of visceral fat. Visceral fat is fat that is more deeply deposited than other types of fat, such as the subcutaneous kind, which lies directly beneath the skin. Visceral fat is also called intra-abdominal fat, meaning that it surrounds the abdomen and organs near that area of the body, such as the liver. The liver metabolizes visceral fat and releases it as cholesterol into the body's bloodstream.

While excess fat located anywhere in the body is unhealthy, fat located particularly around the abdomen has been found to increase an individual's risk for certain health issues such as heart disease, breast cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and gallbladder problems. It is for these reasons that belly fat is more dangerous than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Even in people who are a normal weight, carrying excess visceral fat may increase the likelihood of health problems.

Liposuction for Fat Removal

We often recommend liposuction to Atlanta women and men looking to reduce fat in specific areas of the body. After puberty, fat cells generally do not increase in number, just in size. Removing fat cells through liposuction may be an option for individuals looking to reduce the amount of fat cells in their body.

At our Atlanta plastic surgery practice, when women and men come to our office with weight concerns, we recommend they try improving their diet and exercising more regularly before considering a liposuction or body contouring procedure. Adopting these behaviors will have a greater positive impact on a person's long-term health than having a plastic surgery procedure alone. However, even women and men who eat properly and exercise regularly may have stubborn fat deposits in areas such as the abdomen, and may benefit from liposuction.

How Liposuction May Help

First, it is essential to note that liposuction cannot be used to remove the visceral fat around abdominal organs. Exercise is the primary way to lower the amount of visceral fat in the body and keep this fat at a healthy level. But indirectly, liposuction can help to improve the health of people concerned about visceral fat. This is because removing subcutaneous fat may make it easier and more comfortable to exercise regularly. In this way, liposuction can help to "jumpstart" an extended exercise routine.

While liposuction is not meant as a weight loss "cure" and will not by itself offer significant health benefits to patients, we believe that this plastic surgery procedure can help patients gain control and become healthier people who lead more active lives.

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