One common misconception that Dr. Pin often comes across is that prospective patients who are interested in liposuction are looking for a quick solution to remove excess fat without having to actually change their diet or exercise habits. In fact, quite the opposite is often true. Many of his liposuction patients already follow a balanced, low-fat diet and get 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week. The reason they are interested in liposuction is to remove stubborn areas of fat that have not properly responded to their wellness routine. In essence, liposuction is the finishing touch they want so they can proudly show off the results of all of their weight loss efforts.

However, removing excess fat is not quite as simple as you might think. While your goal should be to reduce as much excess fat as possible, liposuction can only remove one type of excess fat. The other type of fat is nevertheless also important to reduce in terms of your overall health. Below, Dr. Pin explains each type of fat, and how to reduce both in order to be as healthy as possible.

Visceral Fat

Visceral fat is sometimes called deep fat because it is found surrounding the abdominal organs, such as the stomach, intestines, and liver. When you hear about fat as it relates to various health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, or high cholesterol, this is all regarding visceral fat. Insulin resistance, which is one of the key components in developing diabetes, is also thought to be linked to visceral fat. Because of its proximity to various body organs, visceral fat cannot be removed by liposuction.

Despite the fact that visceral fat cannot be removed by liposuction, there is still some good news. Your regular, fat-burning exercise routine will help reduce excess visceral fat. If you combine that with a low-fat diet, you can greatly reduce your chances of developing a number of chronic health conditions that are often linked to excess fat.

Subcutaneous Fat

Subcutaneous fat is found just below the surface of the skin. A good way to see how much subcutaneous fat you have is to lie down on your back. Any excess fat that prevents your abdomen from being completely flat is subcutaneous fat. It can also be measured by pinching or with calipers to determine your body fat levels. Although this fat may cause bulges, it does not present the same health risks as visceral fat because it is not connected to any body organs. Unfortunately, subcutaneous fat is exactly what forms those stubborn pockets of fat that you can't seem to lose, so it's a prime target for liposuction removal.

The truth is that if you are already following a wellness lifestyle in order to lose weight, you've done the vast majority of the work needed to get in shape and get healthy. You've trimmed down your visceral fat, have drastically reduced your chances of developing cardiac disease or other metabolic conditions, and already shed a great deal of your subcutaneous fat. A liposuction procedure will give you that last little boost to get you to your final weight loss goal.