Plastic surgery is a serious choice that must be thought through beforehand. But for a growing segment of the population, there is more than just thinking that needs to be done before going under the knife. These people are obese patients, who may be considered poor candidates for certain elective surgeries. Getting down to a healthier weight before further considering surgery can be the difference between a smooth recovery and painful complications. The problem lies in the increased health risks involved in operating on a person with extreme amounts of excess fat. Studies show that obese patients suffer more than 10 times the complications from plastic surgery than non-obese patients. The most common types of complications are infection and dangerous inflammation. Infections are probably more prevalent, because the immune system is weakened in obese patients, and poor blood circulation slows down the healing process. Also, because their bodies are bigger, the operation is often longer, more intensive and more complicated than on a person who is of a healthy weight. The incisions that need to heal are often larger and therefore take longer and run the risk of higher complications during the healing process. Even if plastic surgeons agree to operate, there are a few types of cosmetic procedures that are not recommended for very overweight people. For example, liposuction is not likely to have much of a noticeable effect. Even if a considerable amount of fat is removed, the person can then collect fat in strange places, giving them an odd appearance. Likewise, breast augmentation is inadvisable as well, because plastic surgeons say the larger bust line can make the person appear even heavier. Because the cures for several obesity-related illnesses involve weight loss, some obese people attempt to better their health quickly via liposuction. The fact that plastic surgeons typically remove far less than 10 pounds of fat during a typical liposuction may put a damper on the possibilities imagined in that miracle cure. Liposuction is designed to contour the body by removing small pockets of fat from select places on the body; it is not meant to be a process for weight loss. In recent years, some researchers have conducted studies centered on the health effects of high-volume liposuction in obese people. In these studies, nearly 10 percent of the patients’ body fat can be sucked out. Their health statistics, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, were recorded before and after the procedures. The results showed that weight loss through liposuction proved almost entirely ineffective in improving these health factors and in curing diseases, such as diabetes. Even though it has been proven time and again that weight loss equals better health, the studies found that it is only weight loss through dieting and exercise that produces healthy results. This is probably because liposuction sucks out external surface fat that lies right under the skin. The fat stored deeper within the abdomen and around the vital organs is the kind that causes obesity-related health problems like diabetes and high cholesterol. If better health is the goal in mind, gastric bypass surgery would be much more effective than plastic surgery.
Diet is important, but just with medical prescription
People’s daily life is changing and the same happens with their habits: today is quiet normal – almost compulsory- to spare some time for our psycho-physical wellness and right for this reason the number of persons that decide to ask for wellness centers’, spa’s and thermal centers’ services is definitely increasing.
Even to this field it is possible to apply the most simple rule of economy, which says that an increase of the demand is naturally followed by an increase of the offer; here’s how the places where you can relax and take some time off from your daily busy life, are not anymore just a few in town-they have actually increased with an exponential rhythm.
Indeed up until some decades ago, going regularly to a beauty farm and spa, was considered as an habit that was prerogative of a well-off class, which had the time, the constancy and the money necessary to do it. Nowadays the competition in the wellness field is very fierce and beauty treatments are offered not just in the “institutional” structures as wellness centers and spa, as customers can have them also in beauticians’ shops, gyms and solarium with beautician.
At this point the question arises: what is really the difference among the different services offered by spa, wellness centers and gyms? The requisite required by the Italian law to open a wellness centre are different, according to the kind of service offered in the centre, but anyway the binding prerogatives are: you must have a professional qualification recognized by the provincial commission for handicraft (CPA), a specialization course or alternatively some regional courses, beyond the authorization of the Town, the registration to the Company Register of the Chamber of Commerce and you must have a Vat code.
There are also many companies that opt for another option, which is to open a franchising business and ask therefore for the help of some franchising wellness centers chains to open their activity: in these cases the formation of the personnel, the advertising, the pieces of equipment, the assistance and the consultancy on the store location is entirely on charge of the chain, which therefore guarantees even the good quality of the services offered.
The services which are outside the normal aesthetic ones, like eating advices, the planning of a diet and the preparation of a personalized weight loss plan, are services that a common beautician or a solarium with beautician service cannot offer, as for these consultancies and for the overweight treatments with specific machineries, professionals as doctors and nutritionists are required.
It is better for you to collect some information about the centre you are going to contact for the weight loss treatments you are interested in, as any treatments or diet must be decided by a doctor- not by a beautician- who, just after an accurate visit on the patient, can proceed with the diet medical prescription and, just in case, with some aesthetical treatments.
Get Slim With Atkins Diet Plan
The Atkins’ diet has been a craze for a couple of decades. Here’s how you can gain from it.
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All of you who are reading this article right now have definitely been on a diet at some point or the other of your lives. The battle of the bulge is an ongoing problem and we are always on the lookout for various means to win this war.
Along with exercise, our diet and nutrition also plays an important role in reducing our weight. Hence, this obsession persists in all of us to undertake some form of dieting. But going on a diet is definitely not an easy thing. What to eat and what to stay away from is always a perennial problem.
One of my friends told me that she ate the normal menu which she cooked for the family, but her weight loss recipe is “portion control.” This is a really simple diet plan. In this plan, you cut down on the portion of food you consume. For example, if you usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast, you should eat only one piece. If you normally eat two cups of rice for lunch, cut it down to one cup. In this way, you are automatically reducing your calorie intake by half.
Another popular method of dieting is to stop all intake of fatty foods and sugar. In this diet, you cut down on your oil, butter and ghee intake which automatically reduces your fat deposits.
While I was leafing through a magazine, I read about one of our Hollywood celebrities following the Atkins’ diet. This immediately aroused my curiosity about the diet. Though I have heard about the diet many times, I had no inside knowledge about it. So, I immediately set to work on it and found out certain basic facts’ about the Atkins diet which I want to share with my readers.
The Atkins’ diet made its first appearance in 1972 and was invented by its namesake, Dr Atkins. According to him, this method enables us to lose weight by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body burns both fat and carbohydrates to provide energy. If we reduce the intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body starts burning only fat to provide energy. This method is called “lipolysis”, which in turn induces ketosis. In ketosis, our body burns fat as fuel. Atkins also felt that ketosis will affect insulin production which will result in less fat being formed. And, once your body enters ketosis, your cravings for carbohydrates will reduce significantly which, in turn, will reduce your body weight.
The major difference between Atkins’ diet and other types of diet is that, while most diets restrict calorie, intake, the Atkins’ plan encourages us to eat more. While most of the diets recommend low fat, high carbohydrate intake, Atkins’ does just the opposite. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, this diet wants us to consume plenty of fat and protein.
The core principle of the Atkins’ diet is that, by limiting carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn its stored fat, rather than carbs for fuel.
The Atkins’ diet has a four carbohydrates stage plan induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. With the help of these four stages, you can reduce as well as maintain your weight throughout your life.
Induction – phase 1: This phase lasts for two weeks, by the end of which you can obtain significant results. Another point is that, in this diet plan you can begin at any of the phase. But it is recommended to start with induction. As you cut back on your carbohydrates significantly in this phase, you will jump start your weight loss programme. In this phase, only 20 gm of carbohydrates are allowed and hence your weight loss is significant. As you drastically cut down on carbohydrates your body shifts into high gear and starts burning fat. This takes about 48 hours to occur and you may feel hungry and irritated for the first three-four days. But don’t worry, as soon as your fat starts getting converted to fuel, you will feel fit as a fiddle. Induction will strengthen your immune system and also improve our long-term health.
Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase 2: In this phase, the weight loss pace slows down as you add nutrient-rich carbohydrates to your diet. During this period, you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats as well as understand your body better. You will find the right amount of carbohydrates which you can consume and still lose weight. Your body will also prepare itself for permanent weight management. The amount of carbohydrates which you can eat is increased to 25 gm per day for the first week and increased in five gm instalment for the next few weeks. If your weight loss is significant, you can increase your carbohydrate intake. A person has to be on OWL till he or she is within three-five kg of their goal weight.
Pre-maintenance – (phase 3): Pre-maintenance is a practice run for lifetime maintenance. In this phase, you are fast approaching your target. As long as you continue to lose weight, you can increase your weekly allotment of carbohydrates by another 10 gm. You will be in this phase till you reach your goal and stay on it for one month. The ultimate goal here is to achieve a state of balance called Atkins’ Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake wherein you neither gain nor lose weight.
Lifetime maintenance phase 4: In this phase, you have to focus on your individual ACE and strive to stay within two kg of your ideal weight for the rest of your life. By following a sensible eating plan, you gain energy, better health and confidence in yourself.
By following these four phases, you not only achieve your dream weight but are also able to maintain it throughout your life. You can learn more about this diet by reading the book, Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. But, as with any other diet, this plan also has its pros and cons. The good point is that this diet recommends exercise as a vital part of the weight loss programme. Another point to be noted is that you cannot start on carbohydrates after you lose weight as this will result in your gaining back all that you have lost.
Medical experts advise that people who have gout, kidney problems, diabetes or are pregnant women should not follow this diet plan. As this diet is very stringent, do consult your doctor/dietician for proper advice.
Your dietician will provide you with a proper menu chart as to what should be eaten, in what quantities, etc, based on your eating habits and general lifestyle.
Happy dieting and hoping to see slimmer and fitter readers.