Ideal CoolSculpting Patients and Body Mass Index by Dr Kang

As more patients are becoming aware of CoolSculpting, we are receiving a lot of inquiries from patients about who the best candidates are for this procedure, and in my opinion it is all about your BMI (Body Mass Index).

With any smartphone, you can access a BMI chart and you will instantly know what your Index is based on your weight and height. Therefore BMI is an inexpensive and easy to perform method of screening to place you into underweight (under18.5), normal (18.5 to 25), overweight (25 to 30), and obese (over 30) categories. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that correlation between BMI and body fat is fairly strong. Even if two people have the same BMI, their level of body fat can vary somewhat based on these factors:

1. Women tend to have more body fat than men
2. Blacks have less body fat than do Whites
3. Asians have more body fat than do Whites
4. Older people on average have more body fat than younger adults
5. Athletes have less body fat than do non-athletes

Despite these slight variances, BMI is a pretty good indicator of body fat, and becomes more accurate at higher BMI levels.

In general, ideal candidates are those with normal BMI (18.5 to 25). Essentially these patients present with healthy to slight abundance of subcutaneous fat with small bulges or pouches of “stubborn” fat which they want to reduce on their belly, thigh, or arm. Usually one or two sessions of CoolSculpting will yield a very satisfying result. Just as important, majority in this group already enjoy a healthy diet and regular work out regimen. This is very important because research have shown that patients who can burn as much calories as they consume after their fat reduction procedure, can maintain their result and, also keep their visceral fat (fat in your gut) in check. Conversely, patients who don’t exercise and eat healthy, can have fat returning, and worse yet, possibly develop a compensatory increase of their visceral fat.

Although CoolSculpting can be offered to patients with BMI in the overweight category (25 to 30), in my office, I tend to discourage patients at about BMI of 27 or thereabouts. Of course each patient is evaluated on individual basis, since distribution and confluence of fat layer doesn’t always correlate with BMI, but I would like to illustrate this topic with an example. According to the chart, if you are 5’4”, BMI of 22 will weigh you at 130 lbs (mid of normal range) BMI of 25 will weigh you at 145lbs (border of normal and overweight) while BMI of 30 (border of overweight and obese) will weigh you at 175lbs. Keep in mind correlation with body fat becomes more accurate as BMI rises.

If you have a BMI of 25, at 5’4” with 145lbs, chances are we can plan out a successful protocol where we can address the unwanted fat pockets as long as you understand that it may take up to two to three sessions, maybe even more, spaced out every few months. At BMI of 25, only half the patients are eating healthy and exercising regularly, so my CoolSculpting team will also guide and encourage you to participate in a exercise program and eat healthier.

However with a BMI of 30, weight would be up to 175lbs which is 30 lbs heavier than BMI of 25 and 45lbs heavier than BMI of 22. Morphologically, instead of presenting with pockets of unwanted fat in the muffin top or belly pooch area, these patients usually present with confluent “spare tire” configuration. Expecting a significant fat reduction and body contouring from CoolSculpting in a timely manner, when your BMI is 30, would be a tall order. Financially, it wouldn’t make much sense either since you will likely be needing three to four, or even more of CoolSculpting sessions to achieve a visible difference.

As a Liposuction surgeon well versed in the art of performing natural body contouring, even for those patients with BMI up to 30, I am able to usually provide both immediate improvement and speedy recovery, in matter of days to weeks, not weeks to months, as many patients are led to believe. Therefore, based on my clinical experience, I am often faced with the dilemma of advising my patients that CoolSculpting may not be the best option when the patient’s BMI is closer to 30 as opposed to those within 22 to 25 range.

Often when a patient with BMI closer to 30 comes in for a consultation, wishing to look great for an all important event like a wedding or similar, and only have about a month to recover, I will tell them an investment of a day for the procedure and a few days to recover for Liposuction will provide them the treatment goal they desire within that one month period. Unfortunately, this would not be achievable with CoolSculpting. In this regards, it almost behooves you to seek a consultation with an experienced Plastic Surgeon well versed in liposuction surgery as well as CoolSculpting, since they fully understand all the virtues and limitations of both techniques, and can guide you as to which method of treatment you will most benefit from. After all comparing these two techniques Is like comparing apples to oranges, as the saying goes.

There is a final thought I want to leave you with and that is about the “dynamics” or “momentum” in body fat reduction and contouring. Very often you work so hard to lose 5 to 10 lbs, which rarely translates to a significant change in your body contour, leaving you discouraged. After liposuction, losing 2 to 3 liters of fat only translate to 4.4 to 6.6 lbs weight loss. However after removing 2 to 3 liters of fat, you will definitely experience an immediate reduction of your waist size to fit into your clothing more loosely, if not helping you to reach the target goal of one dress size down. Not only will you be happy with this immediate improvement of your body contour, but often, this reward propagates hope and incentive for you to be more serious about embarking on a better living with healthier diet and stronger conviction to stick to your exercise regimen. Often all we need is a little nudge in the right direction. If receiving this nudge or momentum is important to you, you would be a better served with liposuction procedure than CoolSculpting.

Now that you are familiar with the concept of Body Mass Index, you can readily figure out your own index and perhaps have a better idea whether you are a good candidate for CoolSculpting even prior to seeing your CoolSculpting provider. Ultimately do your due diligence and find a Plastic Surgeon with a well trained CoolSculpting team, utilizing the most up to date CoolSculpting devices and applicators, who also understands the art of body contouring using both traditional liposuction as well as CoolSculpting techniques. They will be able to offer you the most non-biased advice as to which modality of treatment will best serve your needs. You will be glad that you did.

Learn more about Liposuction.

Learn more about CoolSculpting.