The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- John Furner
Before and after images of a morbidly obese man’s dramatic weight loss have divided the internet.
Cole Prochaska, from South Carolina, lost more than 336 pounds in less than two years — but despite accomplishing the major achievement, he is still body conscious.
That is because the dramatic weight loss has come with an unwanted side effect – he has now been left with huge amounts of loose skin.
Prochaska shared his results on Twitter this week, writing: ‘It’s very hard to share a shirtless picture but I’ve come so far.
‘Over 336lbs down! Most didn’t believe in me but I believed in myself.’
Cole Prochaska started documenting his weight loss journey less than two years ago (shown left). This week, he shared the results of his 336-pound weight loss on Twitter (right). His next step is body contouring, also known as body sculpting or skin removal surgery
Now down to roughly 224-226 pounds, body contouring surgery is next on the agenda.
Also known as body sculpting or skin removal, this surgical procedure removes loose skin that’s left after losing massive amounts of weight.
It can be focused on any of the following areas: arms, breasts, face, lower abdomen, thighs, and upper body.
The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery states that good candidates for body contouring have reached their goal weight and have remained stable for at least six months.
Mr Prochaska tweeted that if insurance will not pay for skin surgery, he will have to rely on a GoFundMe to cover the costs.
The 2020 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report estimates that these procedures cost anywhere rom $4,000 to $15,000.
Kardashian doctor says he’s seeing saggy skin and ‘deflated’ butts in patients who lost weight too quickly using Ozempic
Dr Simon Ourian, a cosmetic dermatologist in Beverly Hills, has dubbed the phenomenon ‘Ozempic body’.
This type of surgery is considered a major procedure, which means it can take weeks to months to fully heal. Risks include scarring, bleeding, bruising, swelling, and infection, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
In addition to excess skin, extreme weight loss can also have health consequences when done too quickly. While you lose fat, you may also lose muscle mass and bone density.
However, becoming severely obese has more lasting effects.
Regardless of size, once you reach adulthood, you keep the same amount of fat cells. When you put on a large amount of weight, fat cells enlarge. When you lose a lot of weight, those cells shrink.
Fat can also surround vital organs, such as the liver and stomach. This is visceral fat, which has been shown to increase the risk of life threatening medical conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Research also suggests that visceral fat contributes to insulin resistance, which can lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
A February study from Johns Hopkins University found that 86 percent of adults in the United States with type 2 diabetes were overweight or obese, as well as 62 percent of adults with type 1 diabetes.
Mr Prochaska attributed his success on Twitter to the ‘gym, eating right,’ and ‘at least 10k steps a day.’
