{"id":22613,"date":"2022-04-01T13:45:32","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T20:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=22613"},"modified":"2022-04-01T14:02:33","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T21:02:33","slug":"myths-about-fat-reduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/myths-about-fat-reduction","title":{"rendered":"6 Myths About Fat Reduction Doctors Say Are Completely False"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s arguably no word in the English language that is more loaded—or occupies more of our communal mental real estate—than the F word. Fat has been a topic of conversation for decades and decades. And while the way in which we talk about it continues to shift and evolve, there’s no denying that it remains a constant focus in the aesthetics space. Hence the litany of fat reduction treatments<\/a> available, ranging from surgical options such as liposuction<\/a> to noninvasive alternatives such as CoolSculpting<\/a>, SculpSure<\/a>, Emsculpt Neo<\/a> and more. But despite the topic’s pervasive popularity, there are still plenty of common misconceptions. Below, top plastic surgeons share six fat reduction myths they hear time and time again—and explain why they’re so wrong.<\/p>

1. Liposuction can help you lose weight.<\/h2>

Liposuction is not a weight-loss method. Full stop. “It’s a great way to sculpt and contour the body, not to lose weight,” explains Dr. Steven Wiliams<\/a>, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Dublin, California. “The first thing I remind patients is that fat itself is relatively light. It’s lighter than muscle, it’s lighter than bone. Taking out a liter of fat during a liposuction procedure correlates to much less weight than they think.” Add to this the fact that during liposuction you’re pumped full of fluids, and many people end up heavier immediately post-lipo than they were before, he says. <\/p>

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2. You can “spot treat” areas of fat with diet and exercise.<\/h2>

The idea of targeted fat burning is another widely perpetuated myth, says Dr. Williams. “You see these ads for ab-blaster machines that claim to give you a flatter tummy, and sure, these devices will strengthen your muscles. But exercising one particular area isn’t going to result in fat loss in that area,” he points out. You can burn calories through exercise or cut calories via your diet and you will lose weight, but you can’t choose where in your body that fat will come off, even if you are targeting a particular spot. “Diet plus exercise is the best way to get rid of fat overall, but it’s not going to sculpt your figure,” adds Dr. Payman Danielpour<\/a>, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. His other major caveat? Hormonal swings—after pregnancy, post-menopause—can alter where and how your body stores fat and cause even the most impressive diet and exercise attempts to fall flat.<\/p>

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