With bellies out of quarantine ... - Post-coronavirus bodies go on sale

It is not uncommon for human body shops in Jamaica to offer discounted prices for summer, but this year, there is a twist: the COVID-19 discount.

Dr Alfred Dawes, one of the doctors who has cut his prices to allow post-COVID bodies to be more affordable, said persons have complained that they have gained weight as a result of them being home due to the coronavirus.

"A lot of persons say they have been snacking, and so on, and because the gyms are closed, they are falling off the wagon, so these surgeries are ways of getting people back in shape," he said.

Dawes said that persons, mindful of last year's discounts, have been reaching out to say "that their bellies are out of quarantine".

Swarmed with queries

Since advertising the summer special on procedures such as fat freezing, liposuction, and gastric balloon on June 1, Dawes says that he has been swarmed with queries from persons who are interested in losing the COVID-19 pounds.

He said that persons are particularly interested in the gastric balloon, a procedure that involves placing a balloon made of silicone into the stomach through the mouth. It can remain in the stomach for up to a year.

"It is pretty popular now, especially since it's very affordable and a non-surgical procedure. The balloon fills the stomach, leaving less space for food. It also slows the exit of food from the stomach. With less food being eaten and less hunger being experienced, persons can lose significant weight if they stick to the accompanying programme geared towards changing eating habits for life after balloon removal," Dawes said.

Dr Jan Hochtritt of Prosurgicare Services Limited stated that while he is not having a post-COVID sale, he is cutting the cost on his liposuction procedures for June.

"I wouldn't call it a post-COVID sale, although I recently had a consultation with someone who said she had gained a few pounds during the pandemic and wants to lose it," he said.

The plastic surgeon told THE WEEKEND STAR that while persons have been packing on pounds during the pandemic, he does not recommend liposuction as a weight loss method.

"Lipo is a tool to sculpt your body ... when people come and say they want to lose weight, I tell them to go and walk it off because lipo is not for that purpose really," he said.

Hochtritt added that when the coronavirus hit local shores in March, he was very concerned that the plastic surgery industry would be affected.

"Fortunately we haven't been struck that hard so we have been quite busy and this is something that has surprised us a bit. It was only in March that we really had to close shops but now things have pretty much gone back to normal," he said.