- Deep-fried foods
- Fast-food meals
- High-fat foods
- High-sugar foods, such as cakes, cookies, and candy
Exercise and the support of others (for example, joining a support group with people who have undergone weight-loss surgery) are extremely important in achieving and maintaining weight loss after bariatric surgery.
Exercising can usually resume 6 weeks after the operation. Even sooner than that, most patients will be able to take short walks at a comfortable pace, after consulting with their doctor.
Liposuction
Liposuction eliminates fat in specific areas, such as the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, or knees. Special instruments are inserted through the skin into the pockets, and suction is used to move the fat, break it up, and remove it. Small tubes may be used to drain blood and fluid during the first few days. The pain after the operation can be severe, and often the skin does not contract, resulting in a flabby look. Complications can include burns from the vibrators, bruising, blood clots, and bleeding. Weight gain generally tends to develop in other locations after the operation.
Although liposuction may have cosmetic benefits, there is no evidence that it improves health. The most dangerous fat cells are around the organs inside the abdomen, not beneath the skin.
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Review Date: 04/14/2010
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, and David R. Eltz.
Previously reviewed by Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician,
Massachusetts General Hospital (4/14/2010).
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
