Doctors have long suspected that excess fat around the belly—as opposed to the thighs or hips—increases the chances of developing heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Apparently, abdominal fat doesn't just lie there and jiggle. It actively promotes ill health by, among other things, pumping out inflammatory proteins and interfering with the body's ability to use insulin.
So it seemed plausible to many physicians that surgically removing belly fat by liposuction could give patients a double benefit: a slimmer physique and a better metabolic profile.
That's why there was such disappointment with the news, reported recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, that unlike losing weight the old-fashioned way—by eating less and moving more—liposuction makes no difference in a person's biological risk factors.
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How is that possible? Liposuction does not remove the fat cells found in the liver or the muscles, or the so-called visceral fat that surrounds internal organs. Nor does liposuction reduce the size of any remaining fat cells; large fat cells appear to produce more harmful proteins than do small ones. Some doctors believe the results would have been better if the patients had been only a few pounds overweight. In any case, the best way to shrink fat cells is still to create a negative energy balance by—you guessed it—eating fewer calories than you burn.
Disappointing as this study might be, there is hope for folk who struggle with weight. It's becoming increasingly clear that even modest weight loss—even as little as 5%—can lead to real improvements in your health. The more you lose—and keep off—the better. But you don't have to get all the way back to normal weight. Most of us will never see a model-slim figure in the mirror. But we can all lead healthier lives.