Suck it Out or Work it Out?

I can't tell you how frequently I coach and remind students and clients of the need for building consistency in a daily fitness regimen and program. Using the principles of Pilates for active movement, I admonish people to heed and act on Plato's statement, "lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." As the body ages, the "good condition" of the youthful body breaks down and lean muscle - unattended to - may become mushy layers of fatty deposits. Some have elected to use the technology and the cosmetic surgery of liposuction to alter the body's physical appearance. The result, published in the latest issue of Obesity, was that fat came back after it was suctioned out. It took a year, but it all returned. It did not reappear in the women’s thighs, however, instead, “it was redistributed upstairs,” mostly in the upper abdomen, but also around the shoulders and triceps of the arms. Gina Kolata, NY Times asked, "Liposuction has been around since 1974," the year before I graduated from highschool, "why did it take so long for scientists to do this study?" It's complicated. Sorta like the process of building, shaping, forming and toning the lines of our bodies, eh, that is organically. The New York Times article indicates the studies conce ing the benefits and after effects of liposuction were not pursued earlier as a result of the complicated process involving the doctors chosen, the surgical procedures, the specialized techniques of the physicians, researchers, money, etc. Of course, the fat it self, it seems, is also complicated and stubborn. "It depended on the biology of fat. And obesity researchers say they are not surprised that the women’s fat came back. The body, they say “defends” its fat. If you lose weight, even by dieting, it comes back. And, the study showed, if you suck out the fat with liposuction, even if it’s only a pound, as it was for subjects in the study, it still comes back." "It turns out, Dr. Leibel said, that the body controls the number of its fat cells as carefully as it controls the amount of its fat. Fat cells die and new ones are born throughout life. Scientists have found that fat cells live for only about seven years and that every time a fat cell dies, another is formed to take its place." The reason the fat removed with liposuction in one area does not return to that area is, "liposuction violently destroys the fishnet structure under the skin where fat cells live." A Summary Thought The physical body needs fat to survive and maintain itself. It is part of the balance of our system. In the absence of it, we would not have enough stored energy to move throughout the day. Fifteen percent of the average woman’s body weight is fat that provides readily accessible energy. Another four percent, often referred to as “sex-specific fat” because it stores energy reserved for the demands of pregnancy and breast feeding, is distributed primarily in the thighs, buttocks, and breasts. Fat also serves a structural purpose. Approximately four percent of body weight is made up of fat in the organs, skeletal muscles, and central nervous systems. This fat is sometimes referred to as “essential fat” because these organs will stop functioning if it is depleted. Having too little fat is a health hazard. It is why the body's system continually manufacture fat with such consistency. Manage the amount of body fat your body holds and maintains with a clean (lean and green) diet and regular fitness activities, including aerobic and strength conditioning. Anything short of that results in happiness, with an hour-glass figure that lasts for about 12 months only.