Scientific Breakthrough or Fat-Loss Scam?
I’m sure we can all agree that fat loss is an annoying topic of discussion, primarily because it’s a sophisticated issue for many people with a lot of emotional, scientific, and physiological components. Often this issue is explored or explained via two different but common paths. One is lengthy and rocky, having steep hills ahead. This involves long hours at the gym, boring food, and, more often than not, caloric deficits. The other is a stress-free detour where the fat is cut right out of you—yes, you heard me correctly. That’s not a euphemism.
This isn’t your typical “how to eat less and exercise your way out of stubborn fat” article, nor is it a critique of why your fat-loss tactics aren’t working. I think most of you reading this magazine are either too tired or too impatient with these banal topics and are interested in what science (and plastic surgeons) are doing with technology to our bodies. I would like to discuss two contemporary leaders in effortless fat-loss reduction: CoolSculpting and abdominal etching. Do they really meet their claims of efficacy? I hope that through my organized overview, pursuing such efforts would be no sweat for you (excuse the pun).
What’s CoolSculpting? Why Is It So Cool?
CoolSculpting, fat freezing, or Cryolipolysis® is a medical technology aimed at killing fat cells. This technology is a non-invasive alternative to liposuction, which relies on controlled cooling to near 4° Celsius (about 39° Fahrenheit) for localized reduction of body fat. When fat is exposed to extremely cool temperatures, cell death of subcutaneous fat tissue occurs. In most cases, there’s no damage to the skin, and it’s an FDA-approved technology. The controlled cooling method is executed through a hand-held device and placed on the marked area for treatment. No real pain is known to be experienced throughout the procedure. How did such a technology come to fruition? This is going to sound even more crazy, but the discovery was based on Popsicle consumption! A Harvard University study looked at the effects of freezing temperatures on the body. University scientists observed that some children who ate Popsicles got dimples in their cheeks. The scientists—Dieter Manstein, MD and R. Rox Anderson, MD—realized that the Popsicles were freezing and eliminating small pockets of fat cells.” Therefore, this led to the idea that cold can target fat cells without damaging the skin or surrounding tissue—pretty “cool,” right? So where does the fat go once destroyed? It’s said that treated fat cells are crystalized, killed, and metabolized and eliminated by the body.
Advantages
• You can lose up to 20 to 30 percent of fat in the treated area after just one single session. Most patients see noticeable results within just a few weeks.
• Fat cells removed from the body remain permanently gone.
• It’s a non-invasive technology.
• It yields liposuction-type results with no needles, surgery, or recovery or downtime.
Disadvantages
• It’s costly—the average cost is listed at around $2,000. The price can vary widely depending on factors such as the number of treatments needed, the size of the applicator, and the geographic location where the procedure is performed.
• More than one treatment might not be enough, so for many, this isn’t cost-effective.
• You must ensure that you’re getting a qualified person performing this procedure to avoid side effects. Don’t just shop for the cheapest person who can do it!
• There’s a possibility you may experience some discomfort and sensations during the CoolSculpting procedure (e.g., some people experience pulling, mild pinching, intense cold, tingling, stinging, aching, and cramping of the treatment site).
• You may experience post-procedure side effects such as temporary redness, excessive swelling (a condition known as paradoxical adipose hypertrophy [PAH]), bruising, tingling, stinging, tenderness, itching, cramping, or skin sensitivity.
• There’s a tendency for uneven removal.
• You have to be adamant about sticking to your diet and training regimen. You’re advised not to gain weight during your treatment series, as it will take you off course.
• It’s time-consuming—it takes roughly an hour to treat each area (so your visits could very well be longer depending on how much you’d like to target per visit).
• People with the following conditions should not do CoolSculpting as it could cause serious complications: cryoglobulinemia, cold agglutinin disease, paroxysmal cold hemoglobulinuria.
Is CoolSculpting Right for You?
If your goal is significant weight loss, then no, this wouldn’t be a realistic approach for you. CoolSculpting is intended for healthy individuals looking to remove stubborn areas of fat and those who wish to emphasize their aesthetics through body contouring. A qualified candidate for this procedure would already be engaged in a consistent training routine, consuming a healthy diet, and within 20 pounds of his or her ideal weight. With any cosmetic procedure, you must get a qualified medical doctor to assess your situation and determine if you’re healthy enough to undergo the procedure and if it’s the right procedure for your situation. We can’t stress this enough.
What Is Abdominal and Muscle Etching?
Muscle etching is a type of liposuction invented in the early 1990s by plastic surgeon Henry A. Mentz III. Abdominal and muscle “etching” are plastic surgery liposuction procedures that emphasize muscle in specific areas of the body by selectively removing a small amount of fat from around the patient’s muscles in key areas. A special surgical instrument known as the cannula is used to shape and highlight areas of the body such as the abdomen, thighs, calves, deltoids, pectorals, or biceps. Some experts even suggest that abdominal etching takes liposuction to the next level as it removes excess fat between the abdominal muscles, creating indentations that resemble those washboard abs you’ve been fantasizing about! When you etch your fat away, your stomach and overall physique will appear tighter, firmer, and more muscular. Most of the time, this procedure occurs in an outpatient surgery center and could very well last about an hour under general anesthesia. Recovery and downtime is obviously required.
Advantages
• Having a nice, chiseled abdomen can encourage you to stay fit.
• It’s an outpatient treatment lasting only about one hour.
• Fat cells are permanently removed.
• Downtime doesn’t appear to be very long—you can resume regular activity within one to three weeks after surgery.
Disadvantages
• Liposuction is currently the most performed aesthetic plastic surgery worldwide. But just such as any surgical procedure, it has its own risks and complications, such as contour irregularities, infection, hypoesthesia, edema, ecchymosis, seroma, hematoma, skin discolouration, and more serious complications such as pulmonary embolism, viscus perforation, lidocaine toxicity or even death.
• Abdominal etching is costly! The minimum national average for treatment is $3,000 and it goes as high as $10,000.
• This is an invasive procedure and as such, there are risks involved including infection, excessive bleeding, and permanent scarring, which could ruin a would-be-Olympian physique in a hurry! There are also risks associated with general anesthesia, which should be discussed with your surgeon.
• While downtime is short, patients may experience soreness, bruising, and limited mobility while abdomen or other areas of the body are healing.
• While fat cells are permanently removed, you must watch your diet after the procedure, as weight gain will lessen the effects of abdominal etching.
• Etching is a cosmetic procedure and therefore would most likely not be covered by insurance.
• Etching is a procedure cut out for the physically fit where you maintain a body fat of 18 percent or lower.
• The results aren’t immediate—the full aesthetic benefit begins to show six months after the procedure.
Is Abdominal or Muscle Etching Right for You?
Similar to CoolSculpting, the procedure is best suited for individuals who are already in shape; however, the selection process for this technique appears to be more demanding. Model candidates should not only be physically fit but also have naturally athletic-looking abdominal muscles with a body fat percentage no higher than 18 percent. Especially in the abdomen, you should have no more than 1 to 2 centimeters of graspable belly fat. Those with larger accumulations of abdominal fat are encouraged to pursue traditional liposuction methods.
Anything Worthwhile Is Worth Working For
The path of least resistance is generally the one taken by many on a quest for a rock-hard six-pack. Elite athletes and bodybuilders will take and do almost anything to win. So it’s really no surprise that many rush to the finish line when it comes to achieving bodybuilding and fitness goals. I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to do things more efficiently. But at what cost? This is a good question to ask yourself. Sensibly, it takes tremendous effort, time, consistency, and dedication to address these concerns—if you want to do it correctly, of course. Many who wish to take the easy way out with fat loss find it difficult to see progress initially and struggle to get the hamster wheel turning! This of course inhibits their motivation to continue. So let’s go back to my initial question of “fact or fallacy?” Do these fat-loss reduction strategies really work? Scientifically, yes, they’re proven. The evidence is there. Take a look and you will see that fat certainly can be frozen or cut out of you. But perhaps I should rephrase my question and ask the following: Do fat-loss reduction technologies promote results that will last a lifetime? Not if you return to the eating and activity patterns that led to the fat gain to begin with.
Anything worthwhile is worth working for. MUSCLE INSIDER readers know that hard work, consistency, and a scientific approach to eating, training and supplementing are all proven tools to losing fat and gaining muscle. But these aren’t short-term treatments. They need to become part of your lifestyle.
