Being seriously overweight carries all sorts of risks and problems. Obesity usually means the presence of health concerns like high blood pressure, heart disease, and even diabetes. It also means lifestyle restrictions like not being able to run and play with one's children or take part in previously favored sports. It can also mean a decrease in self-esteem as one becomes more embarrassed of his appearance or her body image. In this situation, many obese people have turned to plastic surgeons looking for solutions to their weight problems. While some cosmetic surgeons will operate on obese patients, in general, liposuction for the grossly-overweight is not a good idea.



Here's why:

The Plastic Surgery Risks are High

Because the organs and body functions are already under more than normal stress in an obese person, the added trauma of anesthesia, incisions, and liposuction can sometimes be more than what the body can handle. Obese patients must be monitored very carefully during any surgery to make sure their body is handling the procedure well enough.

It Doesn't Decrease Health Risks

Studies suggest that even after removing a significant amount of fat from an obese person with liposuction, the health risks of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease do not decrease. This is because the fat that makes a real difference in these conditions is the fat that surrounds the body's vital organs, which can only be reduced by diet and exercise. The fat that liposuction gets rid of is just subcutaneous fat in places like the stomach region, the buttocks, and the hips.

The Fat Comes Back Without a Lifestyle Change

There is no substitute in the weight loss world for diet and exercise and liposuction is no exception for the obese. All that liposuction can do is remove the localized pockets of fat to create an eye-catching body shape but it cannot reduce calorie intake. For those with sedentary lifestyles (little or no exercise) and poor eating habits, the fat will come back after surgery. In fact it may come back with vengeance because without a good diet and exercise regimen, the body will think it is starving because of the depletion of fat stores. It will then mercilessly retain as many calories as possible.

Unwanted By-Products Necessitate Further Surgery

Even with a trained cosmetic surgeon and proper procedures, obese patients will likely experience some rippling and ridge-development in the skin. This happens because the skin was stretched out by the underlying fat, and with the fat suddenly removed, there is too much skin to cover the remaining tissues. Other side effects can be skin folds or tight bands of skin in awkward places. These issues sometimes make it necessary to have more plastic surgeries to remove the excess skin.

Liposuction can be a great tool for those who have relatively healthy bodies but have a few trouble areas. It was never meant to be a weight-loss solution for anyone, obese or not. Diet and exercise are the only sure ways to lose weight for good and become healthier. Liposuction will simply enhance the look of already-established beneficial habits.