As Americans we have a ongoing battle of the bulge happening on a daily basis. We try to come up with cute names for our unsightly fat only to continue to be ashamed of the extra bumps and bulges that we try to disguise under layers of clothing and creative accessorizing. We continually look for ways to reduce the amount of fat that we carry around, both the tried and true, and the experimental and even extreme. But even for the most diligent of us, some fat just seems to be determined to hang around. So why does it seem that some areas of our bodies seem more apt to surrender to the enemy and allow fat to hang on despite our best efforts to get rid of it?

According to medical research there are actually different types of fat that perform different purposes in the human body. Fats main two purposes are to store excess calories and to release hormones that control metabolism. The different types of fat work differently within the body however. Those fat types are brown, white, subcutaneous, visceral and belly fat.

Brown fat is actually more beneficial than first thought, according to researchers. Lean people ten to have more brown fat than overweight people and is able to act more like muscle in its capability to help burn white fat. White fat is much more plentiful in all people and its main job is to store energy and produce the hormone adiponectin, which helps the liver more sensitive to insulin reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Overweight and obese individuals experience a drop or slow down in this hormone production which increases the risk of these diseases.

Subcutaneous fat is that fat that is found directly under the skin. This fat, generally found around the hips, thighs and buttocks is not as detrimental, health-wise, as deeper fat. This deeper fat, called visceral fat is the type of fat that wraps around inner organs and is mostly the cause of weight-related diseases like diabetes. This is why those who carry their extra weight around the midriff are at more risk than those who carry theirs around their hips and thighs. Belly fat is a combination of both visceral and subcutaneous fat.

At Front Range Plastic Surgery in Loveland, we offer our patients CoolSculpting®, a non-surgical liposuction option to help remove stubborn areas of fat. This innovative technique actually freezes fat cells, crystallizing them and removing them safely and painlessly by natural elimination. This break-through procedure is virtually painless, requiring little procedure time or recovery time. Call us at our Loveland office for a free consultation at 970-372-2310.