Beyond the Waistline: How Liposuction Helps with Cholesterol Levels and Diabetes

When we think of wanting a slimmer figure – who doesn’t? – we think that we mainly need to lose weight. It often comes as a surprise to liposuction patients that it has nothing to do with weight loss. It’s simply about the removal of fat. But while liposuction is not a weight loss program per se, it often can be a kick start to positive lifestyle changes. Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes – learn about the health benefits of liposuction!

“I had liposuction performed on my chest, stomach and sides by Dr. Rosdeutscher. Not only do I look much better but I feel better about myself. As an extra bonus, my blood pressure went down significantly.”

The above was written by one of our male liposuction patients, Donald, in a recent review about his liposuction procedure at NuBody Concepts. What a pleasant surprise for him to not only get a slimmer waistline but also improve his health!

Look better AND be healthier – what’s not to love about that?

The thing is, conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol can almost always be avoided with basic lifestyle changes – mainly, diet and exercise. Common sense says that liposuction should not have that effect. But a study from the year 2000 shows that insulin resistance (the cause of diabetes 2) went down in a group of women who had a substantial amount of stomach fat removed with liposuction. These health benefits of liposuction weren’t just a temporary improvement. The women were tracked for a whole year and were able to maintain a lower weight, blood pressure, and improved insulin resistance.

Liposuction as a means to lower cholesterol and combat diabetes 2 seems to be particularly effective in patients who have gained 20 or 30 pounds over a relatively short period of time, like during pregnancy, or from stress, or when recovering from an injury. If you’ve accumulated the fat fairly quickly, it seems that you also have a higher chance of keeping it off permanently with liposuction.

Somehow there is a connection between insulin resistance and the removal of subcutaneous fat (the kind of fat that liposuction can remove, as opposed to visceral fat, which cannot be removed by liposuction).

A link to lower risks of diabetes and heart disease

Another study from 2011 measured a reduction in triglyceride levels and white blood cell counts in a group of over 300 liposuction patients. High levels of triglyceride are linked to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Patients with at-risk levels of triglyceride were able to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease by undergoing liposuction. The results were equally true for men and women.

The decrease in the white blood cell count is particularly encouraging. High white blood cell counts are linked to coronary heart disease, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. If liposuction, together with an improved diet and more exercise, can improve your white blood cell counts, than it can be a big boost to your health.

Patients with high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or diabetes should be pleased to learn that not only does liposuction help you to look better, it could possibly aid in those conditions.

Higher motivation to stay healthy

It’s not entirely clear why exactly there are all these measured health benefits of liposuction. But at NuBody Concepts, after performing thousands of procedures for Tennessee patients, we are sure about one effect of liposuction: It gives you the figure you’ve always wanted and also has a hugely positive effect on your confidence. This in turn motivates you enormously to keep that newly sculpted body, now that you’ve seen how great it makes you feel. It is often much easier to change your lifestyle towards a better diet and more exercise when you’ve already seen the positive effects. When you’re trying hard to exercise and diet and still don’t see any change, it’s much easier to lose faith. Liposuction is often the trigger people need to give their motivation a huge boost.

Whatever the case may be, one thing is clear: Going to the gym when you are proud about your body is just so much more fun than the alternative!

References:

1. WebMD: Study Looks at Whether Liposuction Has an Anti-Diabetes Bonus

2. American Society of Plastic Surgeons: Liposuction Linked to Reduced Triglyceride Levels, ASPS Study Finds


Each patient is unique. What your treatment will look like is determined by you and the plastic surgeon who you will meet with in a personal consultation.