Dr. Mario Russo – Obesity Causes and Treatments

Dr. Mario Russo (Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Specialist – Cosmetic Surgery Italian Fellowship)

Obesity is one of the most serious modern-day diseases resulting from the new global lifestyle. It has become a real threat to public health and affects the human body and its functions.  Obese persons usually suffer from negative psychological and social problems, as a result of the changes that happen to their body shape, weight, movement ability, and strength.

Obesity may affect men and women of different ages, and for many reasons, such as the consumption of unhealthy food that is rich in fat and sugars, hormonal changes and fluctuations, genetic factors, side effects resulting from certain types of medicines, lack of movement, and psychological disorders that may lead to increased appetite and excessive eating.

There are different types of obesity: generalized fat deposits or localized fat deposits concentrated in certain areas of the body (such as the neck, chin, back, top and behind the arms, buttocks, thighs, and duck leg). Both types are harmful to health, annoying, and must be treated in a correct and appropriate manner. Otherwise, mistreatment may be more harmful than obesity itself.

In the same context, abdominal fat is not only annoying and embarrassing, but is the most dangerous to human health. It is the primary cause of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, insulin resistance syndrome, and heart disease. As a general rule, the larger the width of the waist, the higher the probability of the occurrence of serious health problems.

Mechanisms to get rid of generalized obesity and localized obesity:
A healthy and proper diet, physical exercise, drinking sufficient amounts of water, and refraining from smoking and drinking alcohol are essential factors to maintain a healthy and proportional body. However, in many cases, generalized obesity or localized obesity may require medical intervention to facilitate, promote, and accelerate weight loss and help reshape the body. These interventions help obesity patients to continue their fight against obesity and remain optimist to achieve their goals faster.

There are two main types of medical intervention:
Surgical intervention: through surgical operations to break up and suction out the fat, and body sculpting surgery in regions with fat concentration and resistant regions. These methods are applied in cases where obesity patients are not capable of losing fat though diet and physical exercise, and have proved to be effective and successful, especially when performed correctly by obesity specialists in medical centers authorized to perform such cosmetic surgical procedures. It must be emphasized that these operations are not the ultimate solution for the treatment of obesity, but a means to improve the external appearance of patients.

A cannula is inserted beneath the skin during the liposuction procedure. High-pressure fat-solvent fluid is injected, and then dissolved fat tissue is siphoned off with the fluid out of the body. The removed fat can be used as natural fillers (fat transfer or grafting) after purification and cleansing to be injected in another area of ​​the body where volume is needed.

Non-surgical intervention: through non-surgical procedures that break up and dissolve fat, help reshape and restructure body regions, and dispose of stubborn fat. These techniques have proved to be successful, especially when patients follow the instructions accompanying the treatment. Among the latest global technologies is laser liposuction, where fat is broken down by laser using ai-lipoxcell device. It is one of the safest and most effective methods since the biological composition of fat cells is not compromised, but cells are only emptied of their fat content. The results are immediate and measurable after each session, since the area of the treated region decreases by at least 1 to 1.30 cm during each session.  After several sessions, the patient will notice a big difference in the treated region.

I-lipoxcell works well with both men and women through targeting all body areas for both genders, except for the chest area for women.

Each treatment session lasts about 45-60 minutes, including the registration of body fat analysis and measurements in the computer, followed by a 20-minute application of low-power laser to break down fat tissue in the desired area, 15-20 minutes of automatic massage by a special handle accompanied by the use of infrared laser to break down cellulite, and then 15-20 minutes of radio-frequency to flatten the target area, prevent sagging, and stimulate the growth of cells and collagen fibers for skin tightening.

Pharmacological intervention (mesotherapy injection to enhance weight loss and body reshaping):
Mesotherapy is used for weight loss and breaking up stubborn fat, through the injection of a drug combination using special needles into stubborn fat areas targeting specific receptors on fat cells. Alpha receptors block fat metabolism, while beta receptors promote fat metabolism. Before receiving mesotherapy treatment for weight loss, some physical examinations must be done. Accordingly, the physician chooses a specific pharmaceutical composition depending on the patient’s condition, to enable the inhibition of (alpha) receptors and activation of (beta) receptors.

This combination spreads in the target layers of the skin and breaks down the fat slowly.  As for the amount of lost kilograms of fat and changes in body measurements, they vary from one person to another according to one’s commitment to the treatment and the healthy diet.