14 DAY TRIAL // The way you look is a combination of genetics, diet and sports. When all three are not right, the result is lousy. Giving up the habit of eating junk food and starting practicing sports is the nightmare of any couch potato.
Here comes the salvation: some American doctors say a new technique called lipodissolve is a viable alternative to surgical liposuction. "The procedure, which has yet to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, involves a series of injections designed to dissolve fat from the stomach and other body areas," CBS News said Wednesday.
The injections are made with PCDC, a solution comprising bile salt, which inside the digestive tract is involved in breaking down fat. "Patients can lose at least a half an inch (1.25 cm) on their waistline per treatment," said Dr. Roger Friedman, medical director of a lipodissolve clinic with offices in Maryland and Virginia.
But critics point out there is no scientific proof about the effectiveness of the injections. "We don't know how it works. They're surmising how it works. We need to have proof before, in good conscience, we can recommend it to more patients," Dr. Alan Gold, president of the American Society Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, told CBS News.
Earlier this year, Japanese researchers have announced they found a method to increase the size of a woman's breasts while performing liposuction at the same time from the stomach and thigh areas. The collected fat would be enriched with stem cells before being injected in the woman's breasts.
Stem cells would then divide to form new fat cells, resulting in a more natural-looking alternative to breast implants. Breast enlargement using fat and stem cells does not create a lumpy effect. "The enhanced breasts are soft and natural, so they are the patient's "real" breasts.", said the researchers from Tokyo University.