So I have a couple of friends who want to undergo liposuction. They are very young, and I believe that they are nowhere near that point. I am in the process of very delicately telling them that their current eating and exercising habits are not conducive to weight-loss, and that if they would just commit to working a little harder, that they wouldn't have to subject their body to that kind of trauma just yet.

I am not opposed to plastic surgery. In fact, I see myself getting something done at various points in my life. However, I do believe that when you are considering going under the knife, you need to do thorough research and only use it as a last resort. Think about your alternatives and don't settle on plastic surgery just because it's a quick fix.

One area where I think the above sentiment applies strongly is fat. Any procedure undertaken to remove or curb fat is generally dangerous, and may affect your health post-surgery. I remember watching a documentary on liposuction when plastic surgery was just starting to become popular - it was graphic and terrifying - and I wondered what would possess someone to put their body through such stress.

That said, please bear in mind that all I am saying, is that one should always consider less drastic options first, and, when push finally comes to shove, extensive research should be done to ensure that the treatment, whether it be liposuction or something else, is safe, performed by an accredited surgeon, and all risks involved fully and completely understood.

I believe that you have to be ready for hard work either way. If you want to exercise and diet, then do your very best. I myself am trying to get lean, and it is so much harder than I thought it would be! I am trying to eat healthy, and curb my sweet tooth, and summon the motivation to work out. I don't know which is harder, to be honest. I am constantly having to suppress my cravings and push myself, and though I am admittedly aeons away from considering liposuction as a solution, I can at least begin to understand the desperate thinking behind considering it as an alternative.

And then there is the cost of liposuction. Again, I am the kind of person who believes that you should be able to buy something at least twice before you should consider buying it once. Take into consideration the cost of going to a safer, more highly accredited surgeon, and compare it to your current financial situation. Are you just starting work? Do you have anything saved in the bank for a rainy day? What else will you have to pay for besides your surgery?

I don't claim to be an expert, or understand the situation that each and every person out there is in, or to have all the answers, but I believe that these are just a few things to consider before taking that leap.