Is Plastic Surgery the Easy Way Out?

            In another magazine, the following was printed under the title "Shameful Behavior:"  "The Lazy Rich Man's Six-Pack Regimen."  "...Doctors now use that side effect to "carve out" a six-pack. And rich people seem to like being carved.  Like turkeys."  Is this really shameful behavior?  I imagine the entire editorial staff is so genetically gifted that they are all sporting massive defined physiques.

            I have been a competitive bodybuilder and I have won several contests. I know the deprivation necessary to achieve a certain level of definition. As a doctor, I am aware that trying to maintain that lean look over the long term with the use of some metabolic enhancers is not healthy. I also know there is a trade-off between maintaining mass and achieving definition. There are some incredibly gifted individuals who were lucky enough to have chosen the right parents. There are also those chemically enhanced who inspire the following limerick:

There once was a young man named Bass

Who impressed his fans with his mass

But those who really knew him

Were aware it wasn't hours in the gym

But rather the needle in his ass.

Perhaps there are those who believe we should be content with what the Lord has given us. You have my blessing. Should we be slaves to our genetics? Or should we break the bounds of our limitations? It is my prejudiced opinion that it's not laziness, but the aspiration to overcome these limitations, that leads the bodybuilder to plastic surgery.

            What constitutes that much-valued six-pack abdomen? First you have to have the right shape abdominal muscles. Some people have rounded muscle bellies and others have a more ribbon-like development. Some have symmetrical inscriptions that separate the muscles and others don't. Then there is the matter of the amount of stubborn fat that is overlying the muscles.  Abdominal definition requires a body fat percent of less than seven percent.  Even at this extreme low level, some will still have fat in the abdomen. This is fat that nature intended to get you through famine. To naturally lose it you would have to approach anorexia.

            By the use of liposuction and abdominal etching, this stubborn fat is carefully removed to Reveal the abdominal muscles. You can then maintain more upper body mass without worrying about fat depositing around the middle. You don't have to maintain a starvation diet. You can find more worthwhile things to do with your time than hours of cardio like some hamster on a wheel. 

            I certainly don't consider my patients lazy. Most of them have put in their time in the gym and are now looking to safely get to the next level past their genetic limitations. If someone who is overweight comes for a consultation, I will suggest a diet and even try to find them a personal trainer. It's only after they have gotten down to an acceptable body fat that liposuction would be scheduled to handle the diet and exercise-resistant areas.

            I can only say to the self-righteous staff of that other magazine that I will compare abs with them anytime. I've had liposuction and I'm proud of it.