Will removing fat from the abdomen with lipo help speed up metabolism and lose weight faster? Any health benefit from lipo?

There are no known health benefits from liposuction. It does not treat obesity. It may seem like it should, but it doesn't. Weight loss is the appropriate treatment for obesity. Liposuction makes people look better, but the benefits end there. Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.

Thanks for your question. The answer from a simple scientific basis is no, having lipo probably does not speed up your general metabolism. However, in the 25+ years I have been doing liposuction, I see almost every patient go on to lose more weight on their own after lipo -- and, for those who don't, but gain less than 10# or so, the gain tends not to go back where we suctioned, but elsewhere. The first effect is that people get motivation when they see the surgical improvement and are able to modify their diet and exercise more, to build on the improvement they got; the second effect is that there seems to be a change in the metabolism of the tissues where the lipo is done, to prevent more fat accumulation in the treatment zones (unless a lot of weight is gained, which can overcome this effect). So, the way to look at lipo is that it will "jump-start" your efforts to improve your body--but it does require your participation!