Dr. Vikram .R. Lotwala

Image via Wikipedia Who minds losing their extra bulge with just a surgery, when all you think that's needed is some money, a day's time and an obsession with weight loss? But have you considered the actual details and repercussions of such surgical treatments? What is Liposuction? Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure used to contour the body by removing fat cells from specific body parts prone to stubborn bulges like abdomen, hips, thighs, back, knees, buttocks, upper arms and male breasts. Fat distribution patterns in the body are determined by factors like genetics, age and lifestyle. Sometimes diet and exercise may be ineffective in getting rid of these stubborn fat deposits and bulges. Liposuction is considered to be the safest and most effective surgical way to rid the body of these fat cells. How does the procedure work? To contour the body and remove the fat cells from under the skin’s layer the surgeon uses a small instrument called a cannula. He dir...

Weight loss after bariatric surgery improves patients' cardiovascular risk profile, a systematic review of the medical literature confirms. "The bariatric community has recognized the remarkable metabolic benefits of weight loss surgery for several years, so we were not too surprised by the findings reported in this study," said lead investigator Dr. Helen M. Heneghan in an email to Reuters Health. "However, these findings may surprise cardiologists and physicians who treat obese patients for weight-related illnesses on a daily basis, yet are less familiar with the dramatic metabolic effects of bariatric surgery." Dr. Heneghan, from Ohio's Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues reviewed 52 studies involving 16,867 patients who had bariatric procedures. Weight loss after bariatric surgery averaged 52% of excess weight, according to a report of their findings published online August 30th in the American Journal of Cardiology. E...

Plasma zinc levels drop as absorption of the mineral decreases after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) surgery, according to findings published in the October Issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "RYGBP decreases intestinal capacity to absorb zinc and increased amounts of this element should be used," Dr. Manuel Ruz from the University of Chile in Santiago told Reuters Health in an email. "We are not sure what the right amount is at this moment, but certainly it should be somewhere around 25-30 mg/d on a regular basis." Dr. Ruz and colleagues assessed zinc status and zinc absorption before and 6, 12 and 18 months after RYGBP in 67 women. The women were randomly assigned to two groups: group A received a standard vitamin and mineral supplement (with 7.5 mg/d elemental zinc), and group B received a specially designed vitamin and mineral supplement that provided at least the recommended daily al...

Unpronouncable names, tall claims, exotic looks, tastes like cardboard, advertised for weight loss and super expensive… any guesses what we're are talking about? Well, these are diet foods. Normally fitness and weight loss diets come with fewer do's and many don'ts. There are a few ground rules that must be kept in mind to stay healthy. A fit person is one who will manage to lose weight and stay toned. The main ingredients that form a wholesome meal are rice providing the carbs, dal providing the protiens and vegetables, coconut and groundnut, filtered oil providing the other essesential nutrients. This is what makes the complete meal. Rujuta Diwekar's workshop in Chennai was an extensive session to help people eat right. These are her tips that can change your lifestyle and the way you look. Eat local food (Eat what is grown in your State and surroundings). The further the food comes from the further your navel will be from your spine Avo...

© Hemera/Thinkstock 1. Your Reading Comprehension We all know that person , the one who eats burgers and still loses weight while you eat salad and yogurt and can’t shed a pound. Turns out the problem may not be your appetite; it could be your reading skills. According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research , healthy-sounding labels are duping dieters. Read: Are Your Reading Skills Making You Fat? © George Doyle/Stockbyte/Thinkstock         2. Your Diet Soda Habit Put down the pop! Studies have shown that subjects who drink two or more diet sodas a day have waist size increases up to six times greater than those of people who don’t drink diet soda. These insidious sodas may be free of calories, but they're not free of consequences! Read: Is Diet Soda Making You Fat? © iStockphoto/Thinkstock             3. Lack of Sleep New research suggests sleepless...

I learnt about your demise from the ticker tape on one of the news channels, last evening. It was a big encounter and a very fierce one at that. A feeling of deep saddness enveloped me as I reflected on your youth which had been sacrificed in Gurez Sector,in the line of duty. What does your death mean? By now your mortal body would be lying embalmed at the Base Hospital and will be flown out of Srinagar later in the day,on its final journey to the cremation ground in your native town or village. You were too young to die,far too young! For whom and for what did you die then? This question haunted me last night and I will attempt to answer you. You were probably from a village or a small town of India . You were perhaps the son of an army officer or JCO, or from an urban or rural civilian background. You could not be from one of the big cities where iron has entered the soul of our youth and where the only driving motivator is quest for money in the surreal env...

As little as 15 minutes of exercise everyday can extend your life by as much as three years, a new research has found. Taiwanese researchers examined more than 400,000 study participants in a 12-year period, where patients self-reported their weekly exercise regimen and were then placed in one of five groups: inactive, low, medium, high or very high exercise activity. The study found that people in the low-exercise group, who spent 15 minutes on fitness per day, reduced their risk of dying from cancer by 10 percent and had a three-year longer life expectancy than the inactive group. “The 30-minute a day for five or more days a week has been the golden rule for the last 15 years, but now we found even half that amount could be very beneficial,” ABC News quoted Dr Chi-Pang Wen, lead author of the study, as saying. With every additional 15 minutes of exercise per day, participants reduced their risk of dying from cancer by another 1 percent, the research found.  Res...