Q. Do non-invasive fat reducing treatments increase visceral fat like traditional lipo? I’m interested in fat reduction treatments. I was put off of traditional lipo after reading studies that conclude it causes an increase in visceral fat, even up to 10%. (See, e.g. Bennatti, J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Jul;97(7):2388-95. doi: 10.1210/jc.2012-1012. Epub 2012 Apr 26.) Does Coolsculpting cause an increase in visceral fat? Why might it be similar to or different from traditional lipo with respect to the body’s visceral fat response?
A. The simple answer is yes, just not as much.
All things being equal including: diet (calories in), exercise (calories out) and a stable metabolism, calorie intake will redistribute fat production into the residual fat cells. For some people it may be the visceral fat space. In others, the breasts or buttock or for that matter any fat reserve where your particular genetics directs the fat formation.
I have estimated the loss of fat in CoolSCulpting to be approximately 50 grams (cc of volume) for a small applicator and 100-125 grams (cc of volume) for a large applicator. Liposuction contouring will remove subcutaneous fat in larger volumes, generally up to 5000 cc per session. This is 100 times the small applicator volume and without a commensurate calorie reduction / expenditure, fat develop elsewhere.
The indications, expectations, side-effects and alternatives in fat reduction and body contouring should be discussed with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who can offer you the widest spectrum of options to be compared and use that alternative which is right for you. All the best!
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