A “Tummy Tuck” is not a weight-loss strategy
July 13, 2011 Body, Weight Management
It’s a very tempting idea. Instead of losing weight, just go for a tummy tuck.
It’s a bad idea. And not for some “moral” point that one needs to have the discipline to lose the weight through diet and exercise.
A tummy tuck or, as doctors call it, “abdominoplasty,” is a surgery that removes excess skin from the abdominal area. This is skin that often is left over after extreme weight-loss or pregnancy. In fact, a “Tummy Tuck” is often part of a “Mommy Make-over”, a procedure designed specifically to restore the pre-pregnancy shape of a recent mother.
One woman who had undergone a tummy tuck said she did it because she was a small woman who gave birth to a very large baby. The stretched skin prevented her from wearing certain swim wear. “I just got tired of seeing my hideous stomach in the mirror everyday. Exercise didn’t help. I’m sooo glad I did this”, she commented.
Another woman had an excess of skin after bariatric surgery to remedy a serious overweight problem. She lost more than 150 lbs. Her comments? “The tummy tuck was the thing I cried most about because I always wanted a flat stomach. It was a wonderful experience. I now have more confidence. I admit it.”
According to board certified Southwest Florida plastic surgeon, who performed this patient’s procedure in Fort Myers, a tummy tuck also can restore muscles that have become flabby and separated. The result is a firmer, flatter and smoother belly.
Sometimes, liposuction, which basically is vacuuming out excess fat cells, is done in conjunction with tummy tucks. More often, liposuction is used for body shaping and sculpting, independent of a tummy tuck.
In any case, the experts almost unanimously say that a tummy tuck is no way to lose weight.