Americans living longer, getting liposuction and eating healthier
New Forms of Liposuction:
Liposuction is the most popular form of plastic surgery, with more than 300-thousand Americans opting for the procedure each year.
Now there is an alternative to traditional liposuction that is so quick and easy you can do it over your lunch break.
Jogging helps 49-year-old Nancy Kelley escapes the pressures of everyday life but after years of running, there was one problem she just could not shake.
Kelley says, "My son calls it Santa Claus belly."
Plastic surgeon Roger Bassin explains, "The larger circles in the middle represent areas where there's increased fat and increased bulging for her."
Plastic surgeon Roger Bassin offers patients like Beth Steele a new kind of liposuction.
"Liposuction is really meant for body contouring. It's meant for people who are typically healthy and who have trouble spots," says Dr. Bassin.
Smart Lipo is a high-tech alternative that uses a laser to melt away fat.
It takes about 45 minutes and uses a local anesthetic, so patients are awake the entire time.
"I don't feel whatever it is you're doing. Hopefully, getting some fat out of there," says Kelley.
Doctor Bassin begins by injecting the patient with liquid anesthetic then, uses a laser to break up the excess fat.
"Everything the laser tip touches will literally melt the fat. It saves her a scar all the way across her tummy for a tummy tuck. She'll probably lose 4 or 5 pounds," says Dr. Bassin.
While standard liposuction can leave patients with saggy pockets of skin, the heat from the laser shrinks skin around the affected area in six to nine months.
Once the fat has been fully liquefied, doctor Bassin simply sucks it out of the body.
After treatment, Beth's happy with her results and Nancy even went down two dress sizes.
"This helps, and it also gives me an incentive to keep going," says Beth."
Both women say the four-thousand dollar procedure is worth it even though it costs about 4-thousand dollars per area.
The results can last a lifetime and it does not cause bruising and is safer than standard liposuction because you do not have to be put to sleep.
Live Long and Prosper:
According to preliminary data from the National Center for Health Statistics Americans are living longer than ever.
The research group finds that the average life expectancy is 78.
That is the longest in U.S history and there is especially good news for the ladies.
Researchers based their numbers on about 99-percent of the death records reported in the country.
They found that women are living the longest an average 5 years longer than men.
Food Symbols:
The government may want food makers to add symbols to show nutritional information.
Some food and drug manufacturers already use symbols on their food to indicate smart choices but the Food and Drug Administration is looking at making them mandatory.
However, before that happens, it needs to decide on just what those symbols will be.
The FDA held a meeting Monday to get comments from food companies and watchdog organizations.
It could take up to 10 years for a system to be adopted.