When it became apparent that many COVID patients were seriously overweight and often had type 2 diabetes it was a dead cert that we were in for a Govt sponsored diet program. It has arrived; it follows the hugely successful programme developed at Nottingham University and popularized by the work of Dr Mosely in his fasting diet plans.
As part of the year-long plan, patients who have been diagnosed with the condition in the last six years and meet other eligibility criteria will be given so-called “c” such as shakes and soups for three months.
Alongside this, they will be supported to increase their exercise levels and helped to reintroduce ordinary, nutritious food to their diets, with ongoing advice from clinicians and coaches.
NHS England said that as well as helping people live happier, healthier lives, more action to tackle obesity and diabetes will save the health service money and free up staff time.
Well, three cheers for that, what could possibly go wrong? Obviously not everyone will complete the diet but, of those that do, many will experience fast and profound weight loss. The Govt diet plan is based on a calorie intake of around 1000 calories per day and many of the patients would normally be consuming at least that amount with their morning coffee. So the fat and the lean muscle will melt away and, many will be left with ugly loose skin. Some of this excess skin will tighten over time – the skin is a living organ, but many patients in their middle years with a passive lifestyle will find it harder to tighten up. Welcome to a skin tightening surgery bonanza.
What causes loose skin?
When you lose weight, and especially when you lose weight very quickly, these elastic components of your skin not only lose the layers of fat that keep them stretched out over your body, but they also don’t have much time for their elasticity to adapt to your new body shape.
In extreme cases this can cause mental distress:
Lexi Reed, known as Fat Girl Fed Up on Instagram, lost 312 pounds and also coped with loose skin. It made exercising tough, but she had no idea how much pain it caused her until her husband, Danny, lifted it, and she felt immediate relief. She booked in for some skin tightening surgery.
She had a 360-bottom lift. Her doctor removed seven pounds of skin from her stomach and back while lifting her butt and reconstructing her abs. She also had the sides of her legs lifted.
“I would be in tears. I would be in so much pain that I thought something was happening to me or I was dying,” the 28-year-old from Indiana told TODAY.
Many cosmetic surgery clinics offer body contouring treatments which are often referred to be referred to as tuck or lift surgeries. They involve an incision and the removal of extra fat and skin. These surgeries usually require a hospital stay followed by recovery time at home.
Will the government be budgeting for these treatments to reward successful dieters on their ‘beat the bulge' initiative which ironically follows on from their ‘Eat out to help out' solution for empty restaurants.?
In less extreme situations, many nonsurgical procedures can also help with loose skin.
The removal of the outer layer of old skin can lessen the appearance of loose, sagging, or wrinkled skin on the face and neck. Once the old skin peels off, the skin underneath is usually less wrinkled and smoother.
This procedure is also known as laser peeling. It's similar to a chemical peel because it removes the outermost layer of old skin. The laser also warms the layers underneath the top layer. This heat promotes collagen production.
This procedure uses heat to stimulate collagen production. Focused ultrasound energy is transmitted through the skin's surface to heat deeper layers. This is another form of safe energy transfer that heats the skin to induce collagen production. This method focuses on the skin's outer layer.
My own guess is that many of the Govt sponsored dieters will fall into the extremely obese range., way beyond the scope of a light peel. If they lose the weight required to bring their body mass back to normal they will probably need to have skin tightening surgery so they can show off their newly slimmed frame down at the gym or on the beach.
So, my point is, will this initiative lead to a Govt funded boom in body contouring surgery?
Admin is Blogger David Miller FRSA. M.Sc A respected British journalist based in Helsinki Finland. David's portfolio is at http://livewire.pressfolios.com/ David is contactable via the site or at david@dmiller.co.uk
