Monarch Med Spa is located at 9610 Deereco Rd Lutherville Timonium, MD 21093.

To be fair, obesity has a significant genetic factor. My dad, aunt and cousin are obese with the two latter either having diabetes or being very close to it. I have to watch my weight as well. Some people can eat as much as they want and never put on a pound while others put on 5-10 pounds from eating fast food once a month. When something like this is genetic, it is usually resistant to exercising. Gastric bypass just makes the stomach smaller which makes you eat less. As far as I know, it's highly successful in these kinds of situations, but of course, there's always risk factors.

Liposuction is the quick fix, but it also requires changes in your lifestyle and eating habits or all the weight will come back and losing that much weight in such a short time puts a LOT of stress on the body since the entire procedure is a completely unnatural way to lose weight Losing 100 pounds in one day? That's rough. Gastric bypass allows you to lose weight at a slower rate and it's a permanent fix.

Still, most people in America who are fat/obese are by choice - explicit or implicit. There really isn't much difference in my eating habits between my normal weight and +15 lbs. It took me about 6 months to lose the 20 pounds I lost about 18 months ago. The differences themselves are many but individually tiny, and require me to stick to a logical (self-created) program and allowing myself down time from it on the weekend. I give myself 36 hours over the weekend to eat/drink guilt free.

When I happen to go 2 lbs over my desired range, I instantly crack down and I'm back within range within 2-3 days.
In fact, I keep telling myself I should lose another 5-6 lbs to really lean up, but again, no one's immune from not wanting to do the work necessary, especially when you're in your 35+ range. It was easier to be motivated when I didn't like what I saw in the mirror back then.

Now, I'm also not a doctor and you can correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is quite a bit of adult onset diabetes comes specifically from being obese. My mother is actuall an example of this. She finally lost much of the weight in the past year, and (magically) her diabetes just went away.

Losing weight the right way is tough, really tough. Diet is a lifetime activity, not a situational one.

Mike -

I personally know the woman who was the tragic victim from this procedure. I'm not sure if you read the article as well as you should have, or perhaps you are just a judgmental type, but the article clearly states that the medi spa did not follow standard infection control procedures. THIS is the issue here, not that the VICTIM chose to have a procedure that may have put them at risk from complications.

The victim who died was loved my her family, friends and co-workers. I find your comments cold and callous. I'm aware you are entitled to your opinion, however, your opinion stinks.

Sorry for your loss Brenda and since that's the case, they should be liable. However, she knew the risks just like everyone else does when they have plastic surgery. People die from complications of these kinds of surgeries all the time. If they didn't adhere to proper procedures, certainly it does fall on them.

Of course, just about everyone who dies was loved by their family, friends and co-workers. The surgical procedure she chose is one of high risk, however. If there's negligence, that's a whole other mass of complexes, but more people die from complications of liposuction than any other form of plastic surgery. It is extremely traumatic to the body and is quite easy to get infections and blood clots that cause death from such procedures.

http://www.prlog.org/10516025-liposuction-death-rate-the-shocking-truth-youve-never-knew.html

All her family, friends, co-workers and even herself should know this before doing such a dangerous surgical procedure. Was it done to save her life or just to lose weight? Have you ever seen liposuction being performed before? It is a dangerous and risky surgery, more than any other form of plastic surgery. Negligence doesn't help, but even if everything is done "by the book", there is still a significant chance of death from complications and stress to the body. Again, sorry for your loss. Not cold or callous, just the truth about these kinds of surgeries.

Infections, embolisms, lacerated or punctured organs, seroma, nerve damage, mismanagement of fluids, blood pressure dropping to dangerous levels, skin necrosis, toxicity from anethesia medication and so on. You are more likely to die from a liposuction procedure than you are from a car accident (per 100,000 people). You know the risks and you take them. It's not callous or cold to acknowledge the truth about how dangerous plastic surgeries are especially liposuction.

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/SurgeryandLifeSupport/Liposuction/ucm256139.htm

Mike, have a heart. Don't belittle a lady who just lost someone close to her. Tact, dude.

I'm not quite sure how I was belittling anyone any more than the person I was talking to was. No belittling, blunt maybe, but no intention to belittle. I apologize if I come across in that way.

Just remember, things online come across as pretty harsh (maybe I do too). But I would argue that when someone says that they just lost someone close to them that the wrong response would be to post statistics about surgery and obesity. A brief "I'm sorry for your loss" will suffice. Remember, there's another feeling human on the other side of that internet!

I see your point Jennifer. I was talking about this with Tim and she comes in and calls me cold and callous. I guess I can understand the purely emotional response, but I don't understand what was so cold and callous about anything I said before she chimed in. No need to attack me and being that I've debated about various topics on various forums over the last decade, that's where my mind goes pretty quickly; debating topics.

I don't find that cold or callous at all. Tim and I were just having a general discussion about obesity, diabetes, exercise etc... then suddenly, I'm cold and callous. I've said several times I'm sorry for her loss. I didn't know that it meant general discussion couldn't exist within the topic at hand, but not directed at the person who died or any of their family, friends or co-workers. I already said sorry if I came across that way.

I would agree with that if this were an abstract article regarding a large-scale study or something more vague, but this is a news story about someone in your community who lost their life due to inappropriate practices. One important element of debate is appropriateness, and I'm not convinced this the venue for that conversation.

Instead, let's hope that the deceased's survivors are getting the support they need and that no one else's life is lost due to this establishment.

Thanks for responding to me! I hope you have a good night.

Inappropriate practices, yes. I suppose I just view lipo as a "quick fix" for people who don't want to do the work needed and change their life. Instead, they risk their lives for the instant gratification which technology makes many people crave for. They don't want to wait or work towards a goal, they want it right away even if it means they risk their lives.

Of course, their obesity could have been risking their lives already. At any rate, have a good night yourself. I'll always reply to people. Thanks for being civil with me. Have a great day tomorrow and sleep well.

Context over the internet is definitely a problem I run into occasionally as I'm a pretty direct person - yes, even in person (it's not just an internet persona).

However, being direct in person is a lot easier to pull off in personal conversation specifically because of how you deliver what you say.

Understood MIke (there goes that internet context again). Diabetes is definitely a standalone disease from obesity, I only intended to say that if you are obese it increases your probability of getting one type of diabetes.

and spot on about the crap food. If a nutritionist graded my own personal diet, I wouldn't exactly get straight A's either. No soda, very little sweets, few 'snacks' in the junk sense...however I'm still eating things like egg and cheese bagels for breakfast many days.
I just focus on varying calorie intake to keep my metabolism from getting used to the same intake (it's why starvation diets largely stop after a while), and maintaining a good ratio of protetin/carbs/fat. I also stack the majority of my caloric intake before 3pm every day. One of the many dietary things Europe has right is the concept that lunch should be the biggest meal of the day.

Yeah, because the sources I showed to prove my point are just opinions from people who don't know what they are talking about especially the FDA. What do they know, right?
My thoughts on why people do or eat various things? I post sources to back up what I say. The more fat you remove, the more procedures that are done at the same time, the greater the risks. To say "my knowledge on chronic disease" is less than collegiate would be like saying doctors, the FDA and available information is all incorrect. I don't "spew" about things I know nothing about, but thanks. You comparing invasive surgery like liposuction to a dental cleaning is a pretty bizarre and lopsided comparison. People don't die from dental cleanings. Liposuction is not a way to lose weight *safely* while studies done this year show that gastric bypass surgery is safe enough to use even on teenagers and it is generally more effective for people who are genetically prone to obesity. I would say the risks of living in obesity is more dangerous than any surgery, but gastric bypass seems to be the future of combating obesity.
As far as I know, the state of Maryland doesn't even license cosmetic surgery centers which seems to mean no oversight of such facilities. I do find it ironic that you question my information, but you compare a routine dental cleaning with invasive surgery. Kind of laughable, really. I already said, twice, I am sorry for the loss. She should have been on anti-bios right away, but guess not.

That's the thing, many people want the quick fix. They don't want to change their diets or anything.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1421028/

That was over 10 years ago where success rates for GBS, IBS and VBS were studied. Some people had complications, but even back then, the results from IBS were 96% and this was a long term study. Are you saying it's worse now? Kind of hard to believe that.

Rachael C:
See, I didn't want to post this yesterday, because I wasn't 100% sure of this. I had heard this was the reality but it was not based on any fact.

Liposuction is also never covered by insurance companies, assuming they never deem it a "necessary procedure." This is plastic surgery and you take your risks. You're right, liposuction is not "safe and painless", it is actually quite risky, hardly safe and extremely painful. I think you pick your poison. Infections like these are one of the many side effects, including death, from this procedure and these things can happen even when everything is done "by the book."

If there was in fact negligence, which seems entirely possible, the victim shouldn't be held responsible for that negligence, but the reality is the infection and ultimate, untimely death of the victim could have happened even if everything went smoothly. This is an unnecessary, voluntary procedure that is neither safe or painless as you said. You take the risks: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Unfortunately in this case..........

You know people who weigh 175 pounds use lipo just to lose 20 pounds? It's the most common plastic surgery procedure and is chosen over lifestyle changes and other, more natural means of losing the weight. I suppose that is how I could sound "callous and cold."

The real question is: do the health risks from your current weight outweigh the risks of the liposuction procedure?

Modern medicine is the leading cause of death in this country already. Why so many people voluntarily put themselves at risk of dangerous procedures that are not deemed necessary by anyone but the patient is beyond me. I suppose I should stop talking before I get flamed again.

The odds of dying from a liposuction procedure, either during the operation or due to complications afterwards (infections, embolisms etc.) are higher per 100,000 people of dying in a car accident. It can and does kill.

Fat cells are like balloons that fill up as they store fat. All liposuction does is suck out the full fat cells leaving "deflated balloons", which fill up again because the person doesn't change their lifestyle. It is certainly viewed as a quick fix, it's certainly not a long term fix.

People are obsessed with their appearances to the point that they would do this. Unless their medical condition is serious enough to warrant this type of surgery, it shouldn't be done. Anyone could walk in and want liposuction and get it, all you have to do is ask. We live in a world where people want instant gratification and instant results, but don't want to do any of the work. Liposuction is just one example, but I would say all plastic surgery falls under this category to some extent. Liposuction is a "quick fix" just like these dangerous diet pills we have on the market today that also kill people. They are linked to internal bleeding, liver disease or failure, strokes and many other complications.

Liposuction and diet pills are nothing more than quick fixes, sorry, but that's all they are. They are instant gratification, who cares if it's healthy or not? Not too many apparently.