Why your diet and exercise regime are linked to cosmetic surgery suitability
Diet and exercise are closely linked to health and well-being, both of which are important to take into consideration when surgeons are assessing patients for cosmetic surgery suitability. For some operations, your diet and exercise regime are reasonably important – for example, a plastic surgeon will need to be satisfied that you’re in good shape overall before they will give you the green light to go under the knife. For other procedures, it’s absolutely imperative that you’re fit, healthy and not carrying too much excess weight.
What are the immediate dangers of carrying too much weight?
There are many serious health conditions that are linked with obesity, including:
- Heart conditions
- Cancer
- Strokes
- Diabetes
If you are very overweight and are looking to undertake surgical procedures then this can pose a real challenge. Any form of surgery puts stresses and strains on the body that your immune system will need to fight in order to recover and heal successfully. If you’re already putting your body under undue stress and are not in a good state of overall health, it can be much harder for your body to recover from surgery.
Surgeons will do everything they can to mitigate potential side effects. If your chosen diet and (potentially lack of) exercise have already put you at higher risk of serious conditions such as heart problems or a stroke, then it would not be wise to add additional challenges before steps have been taken to try and reduce the overall risk.
Another weighty issue
Being close to or at your ideal body weight and having maintained a stable weight for at least six months is also important in terms of your results. Body contouring procedures such as a tummy tuck or arm lift can produce fantastic results but these can be compromised if you put on or lose significant amounts of weight, as skin and muscles can become stretched. Even the results of procedures such as a breast augmentation or facelift can be affected by future weight fluctuations.
So, what can be done?
Looking carefully at your intake of calories versus the amount of exercise you do is the first step to addressing weight issues. It is not always best to rush into things with unrealistic goals. Take small steps to begin with, such as beginning to reduce portion sizes and walking to places where you would normally take the car. The danger with losing too much weight too quickly is that it is not usually sustainable, and can pile back on relatively quickly – causing the issue of ‘yoyo dieting’.
Keeping your weight at a sensible level and doing regular exercise will make a big impact to your overall health and your mental and physical well-being. Additionally, if you’re thinking that you might undergo any type of cosmetic surgery in the future, getting your body in good form now is a sensible first step.