Sao Paulo — Physical activity after liposuction can counteract compensatory visceral fat growth, according to new research.
Past studies have shown that decreases in body fat following liposuction may trigger mechanisms that lead to an increase in visceral fat, Newswise.com reports. The current study, led by Fabiana Braga Benatti, Ph.D., of the University of Sao Paulo, investigated the effects of liposuction on body fat distribution and whether physical activity could prevent fat regain.
The new study involved 36 healthy female patients who underwent small-volume abdominal liposuction. Two months after surgery, the women were randomly assigned to either a four-month exercise program or no exercise. After six months, the group that did not exercise showed a 10 percent increase in visceral fat and decreased energy expenditure when compared to those in the exercise program.
“We found that removing adipose tissue from the body, as liposuction does, may result in a decrease in total energy expenditure and compensatory growth of visceral fat which is associated with heart disease,” Newswise.com quotes Dr. Benatti as saying. “We believe patients should be informed of the possible compensatory visceral fat growth and the potential health risks associated with a liposuction procedure. Additionally, health professionals are encouraged to recommend exercise training as an intervention following liposuction surgery.”
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
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