As we all know, obesity can cause significant health risks. But even being just slightly overweight can add to your discomfort. A controlled diet and exercise are the best ways to help stay healthy and keep in shape. However, as you get closer to your ideal weight, you may desire more defined Body contouring and a little help with those last few inches.

As the name suggests, body contouring involves re-shaping undesirable areas of your body. The two most common body contouring techniques are liposuction and abdominoplasty.

What is liposuction?

Liposuction is the most common plastic surgery procedure performed in the United States. Liposuction removes localized areas of fat through very small incisions and is followed by rapid recovery. Liposuction has replaced incisional body contouring surgery in most instances. However, if you have loose or excess skin, liposuction may not be the ideal procedure. Traditional body contouring operations -- such as abdominoplasty or thigh lift -- might be a better surgical option.

Newer techniques of liposuction such as tumescent liposuction result in less bruising, less swelling and a quicker recovery than older traditional methods of liposuction.

Why is liposuction performed?

Liposuction can slim your hips and thighs, flatten your abdomen, shape your calves and ankles or eliminate a double chin. Liposuction is especially useful for women and men who are of relatively normal weight but have isolated pockets of fat that cause certain areas of their body to appear disproportionate. These localized fat deposits may be an inherited trait and not responsive to dieting or exercise. Liposuction may be the only way to eliminate these fat deposits. Liposuction also may be used to treat a condition called gynecomastia, or male breast enlargement, which occurs among both teenage and adult males.

Who can have liposuction?

While it is possible to undergo liposuction at almost any age, you will obtain the best results if your skin still has enough elasticity to achieve a smooth contour following fat removal. Liposuction should not be considered a substitute for overall weight loss, nor is it an effective treatment for cellulite, a condition that gives the skin an uneven, dimpled appearance. Liposuction can be performed on several areas of the body at the same time, and it can also be done along with other plastic surgery procedures.

Abdominoplasty--better known as a "tummy tuck"--is an operation performed to improve abdominal contour. This procedure is performed when the patient has stretch marks, skin excess or weakening of the abdominal muscles. Most women who have had children will have some laxity of the abdominal wall. Abdominoplasty allows the abdominal wall muscles to be tightened, in addition to allowing removal of both skin and fat. The result is a flatter abdominal profile. Liposuction alone cannot treat abdominal wall laxity if it is due to loss of muscle tone.

Women and men who have loose abdominal skin and fat that is concentrated in the abdomen can benefit from abdominoplasty. Sometimes these conditions are inherited. In other instances, substantial weight loss may cause abdominal skin to become loose. Abdominoplasty also can tighten muscles that have been separated and weakened by pregnancy. The procedure may somewhat improve the appearance of stretch marks, especially those located below the navel.