Liposuction as a last resort, not a slimming technique

Liposuction is not for people who are overweight and simply want to lose a few kilos just like that. On the other hand, if someone changes their diet and gets lots of exercise and stubborn problem areas remain, liposuction may help. - AFP

Most of us want to look well-proportioned, but the mirror is often disappointing: saddlebags on the hips, love handles around the waist, spare tyre on the belly. If you've had trouble shedding flab the natural way, you might have thought of liposuction to get rid of the excess fat.

But such an intervention is not always the best idea. "Many of those who are interested have misconceptions about liposuction," says Riccardo Giunta, head of the Hand, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Department at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany.