I'm 19 Years Old with Abnormally Large Love Handles and Small Hips. Is This Normal? (photo)

Question

I'm 19 years old and ive NEVER had a child. i weight 170lbs. 5'5 tall. Even if I do lose weight would my body proportions look any better? I would really like to know if im not alone in this. Also what kind of diet and exercise shouold I do. Because of this body I have symptoms of sciatica every day and night. Is there Anyyyything I can do?

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

At 5'5 and 170 lbs, your BMI is 28, which makes you overweight.  The greatest weight loss at 5 years occurs in the diet with the least amount of fat.  Exercise would also be a benefit if you focus on the core, such as sit-ups.  The surgical option would be liposuction rather than abdominoplasty.  We can remove up to 11 lbs during liposuction safely in one session.  You are young and your skin should contract.

	Best Wishes,

	Gary Horndeski, M.D.

J. Jason Wendel, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question and the photos.

	Liposuction would likely improve your problem areas but not completely make it better. You will also need additional diet and exercise to help too. Liposuction does not substitute for weight loss and does not prevent weight gain.

	To be sure, see two or more board-certified plastic surgeons in your area for a full and complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have surgery.  I hope this helps.

Karol A. Gutowski, MD, FACS · Answer

You seem to have an unusual fat distribution for your age. Your best bet is to see your primary care doctor for advice on medically supervised weight loss. In most cases, a combination of increased physical activity (exercise 4 to 5 times per week) and diet control (including a food intake journal) will make a difference. For long-term improvement, these lifestyle changes must be maintained. 

	If after trying this you still have areas that are out of proportion to the rest of your body, liposuction may be considered. At that point, you would want to talk with a Board Certified plastic surgeon. 

	 

	Good Luck

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

You do have an unusual body shape with a very full waist and very small hip and butt. Of course, the opposite could be true and you would be none the better. Familial shape is hard to beat, and liposuction can help to contour and redistribute. At age 19, though, you should not give up on exercise, and 170 is just too much for your frame. You could reduce the waist by half with effort, and running will burn the most

M. Vincent Makhlouf, MD, FACS · Answer

There is a condition called metabolic syndrome where patients have "truncal" obesity which you have some features of, you primary care physician can help you with that. On a more direct and specific level, you have fat deposit in the flanks that responds very well to liposuction, and you butt is proportionately small, what some people call a "V" shape overall, this takes us into another territory of buttock enhancement. I am not sure that you are there, at 19 your body can reshape quite well with proper diet. See you physician go on a specific diet and see how that improves things for you.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Thanks for the photos. This shows the genetic variation in families. But also you need weight management like 40 pounds would be a goal to set.

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD · Answer

You are asking these questions on a tummy tuck page, so I wonder if that is something you are considering.

	By far your best bet to improve your appearance is weight loss by diet and exercise. I doubt that many of us who respond to questions on this site are experts in weight loss, but your personal physician can steer you on the right track.

	Tummy tucks work well on patients with excess skin, fat and laxity of the abdominal wall. I see, of those three, only some excess fat, so I don't think a tummy tuck would do you  much good.

	Liposuction works best where there are localized areas of excess fat. Although you might get some improvement, you also might hardly see any improvement in overall appearance. 

	It is most unlikely that either of these procedures would affect your symptoms.

	Thanks for your question, best wishes.

David E. Berman, MD (retired) · Answer

as the other surgeons have pointed out, you definitely need to lose wt thru diet and exercising. there are lots of great, intelligent programs at most gyms etc to help with this problem. Probably after  you have lost the necessary 30-40 lbs you may still want to do something like Smartlipo for the love handles. however try  and lost as much wt as you can first.

	good luck.

	david berman md

Shankar Lakshman, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Thanks for your question! You are young-if you exercise and eat a balanced diet, you can lose this weight and possibly avoid surgery altogether. If you are unable to get to a size that is satisfactory to you, then liposuction could help you achieve a sculpted look!

	 

	Take care!

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