Dough we tuck our tummies or dough we tummy-tuck?
It is all about choices. And we have a plethora of options in the 21st century.
- Proper dieting
- Exercising (along with correcting our posture issues)
- De-stressing/detoxing
- Knife-ing (Seriously. It's called surgery. ouch.)
- Do NOTHING
While we have discussed the first three, we have not looked at the option of surgery.
Health magazine conducted a survey about the tummy and found:
- 39% participants bought items of clothing they didn't like simply because it made their tummy look more slender.
- 83% said they would rather receive a flat tummy over a diamond ring for their birthday. Humm, I'd have to give that some serious thought!
- 25%admitted that they wore control-top stockings under their jeans. Geee, and I thought jeans were tight enough to suck any one's gut in!
- 75% said they would get a tummy-tuck if money and time were no issue.
The average cost? $5-$10,000.
Recovery time? Varies from individual to individual and the type of procedure. The average is about two weeks.
Newest on the block? The hybrid. It's a combo: tummy-tuck-part-liposuction.
Increase while decreasing!
Stats show a whopping 407 percent increase in tummy-tuck surgeries since 1997.
I wonder how this rates with women who opt for breast augmentation.
Health also reports that plastic surgery by the decade rates like this:
- Early 30s: Almost half of all procedures are implants. The women in this age group, according to Laurie Casas, MD (Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago) have lost most of their breast tissue through pregnancy and nursing.
- 35-50: More than half of all breast cosmetic procedures (reduction as well as enhancement) would be the "lift". Casas goes on to say that this age group of women are interested in getting rid of sagging due to combined effects of gravity and years of having babies.
- 51-64: This population ranks the lowest in choosing breast procedures. Only 9 percent are breast enhancements and 18 percent are breast reductions. In this group, Casas says that "They're more comfortable with their bodies."
While breasts are not the subject of this series, the stats on breast procedures are interesting to look at. And I would say the tummy-tuck might show similar results. Too, I would think that 407 percent increase would slightly speak for itself.
I take the organic route in most things and this is no exception. As my husband has said of me, "She doesn't do knives!" So my advice would be to go natural. Diet and Exercise. Just think of what you could do with that $5,000-$10,000!!!!! And no worry of problems with post surgery like infections, etc. But that is me...so I guess I fall into that last category of being comfortable with my body. Even Brent Moelleken, MD, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills advocates working on those abs. He says, "The closer a patient is to her goal appearance, the less invasive the surgery to get her there has to be."
Regardless, you have to decide. Just remember while the grass may seem greener on the other side of surgery, the grass will still grow and you will still have to mow!!!!! Surgery does NOT eliminate calories or fat invading your body all over again. You will have to WORK to maintain your new look.
In the meantime, stand up straight, shoulders back and down, stack your ribs up nice and tall, and hold that tummy in and be proud of yourself! You look 10 lbs lighter!!!!!!!!
You made it through our series on the pooch. I hope you learned something along the way.
Take the review check-up on the next post for fun!
PART SEVEN: The Pooch Series
Enjoy
